Puntland Accuses Somali President of Fueling Tensions Over Election Plan

GAROWE, Somalia — Somalia’s northeastern Federal State of Puntland on Tuesday accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of stoking political tensions after rejecting a federal election timetable for local councils as “illegal”.

In a strongly worded statement, Puntland’s interior ministry said the schedule issued by the federal electoral and boundaries commission amounted to interference in its internal affairs and violated its constitutional powers.

The dispute initially focused on the inclusion of Galdogob district in the Mudug region, where Puntland said it had already conducted indirect elections in May 2023.

Authorities in Puntland also reiterated claims over parts of the Sool and Ayn regions, insisting they fall under its jurisdiction and warning against any attempt by federal bodies to organise polls there.

“The commission that issued this timetable is neither based on agreement nor law, and we do not recognise its existence,” the ministry said, adding it could not operate within Puntland’s constitutional territory.

Puntland directly blamed Mohamud, accusing him of using the commission to “fuel political tensions, divide communities and weaken the federal system”.

Shortly after the statement, the federal electoral body revised its timetable, removing Galdogob and acknowledging the district had been included “by mistake”.

The row comes amid persistent disagreements between Somalia’s federal government and Puntland over constitutional reforms and the country’s electoral model, raising concerns over fragile relations within the Horn of Africa nation.

GAROWE ONLIENE