THE PREAMBLE OF THE PUNTLAND CHARTER OF 1998

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and on behalf of the people of Puntland:
Recognizing that our country has experienced severe destruction, hardship, and instability caused by dictatorship, civil war, and the absence of law and order;
Believing that the Somali people require a government founded on peace, justice, and the rule of law;
Affirming the principle of self-determination, while striving for the unity of the Somali people based on justice and mutual understanding;
Convinced that peace, freedom, and reconciliation among Somalis can only be achieved through dialogue and cooperation;
Determined to contribute to the reconstruction of Somalia and to enable the Somali people to regain their rightful place among the nations of the world;
Committed to establishing within our communities a peaceful, just, prosperous, and cooperative society;
Therefore, assembled in the city of Garowe, we adopt this Charter establishing the Puntland State as part of a future Federal Republic of Somalia.
Accordingly, we hereby approve and adopt this Charter as our fundamental law.