Somalia: Puntland President Urges Inclusive Talks Amid Political Deadlock  

GAROWE, Somalia - Said Abdullahi Deni, the president of Puntland, says he is not against dialogue initiated by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, but maintains there is a deliberate effort to mislead members of the international community.

Deni now says there should be a genuine dialogue with outcomes reflecting the inclusivity. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, he adds, must be ready to accommodate those who are against some of the suggestions from the government.

All stakeholders should be brought to the table for a broader consensus, Deni said while castigating consultative meetings only involving a few participants, mainly leaning towards the government. The president of Puntland called for genuine political talks to resolve the current stalemate over the election and constitution. 

Deni warned that no individual can single-handedly hijack the country’s future. Mogadishu, he said, should stop undermining federalism by fighting regional leaders with divergent ideologies, adding that negotiations should be held to resolve disputes.

These remarks came on the same day that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s meeting with opposition leaders failed to commence after the opposition refused to attend, citing the absence of Puntland and Jubaland leaders.

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is under persistent pressure to embrace divergent opinions, with opposition leaders accusing him of trying to consolidate power and not hold an inclusive election in 2026. He is blamed for the current political duals in the country.

The president of Somalia is pushing for a one-man-one-vote model of elections without proper infrastructure, with Jubaland and Puntland dismissing it as a strategy to extend the terms of federal leaders, including President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose mandate is ending in 11 months.

Also, parliament has approved the shift from a parliamentary system to a presidential model, a move that has been criticised by the opposition. Somalia is set to hold presidential elections next year when the term of the current parliamentary session ends. But, the political stakeholders are in deadlock over the process.

Puntland suspended cooperation with the Somali government in March 2024 and said it would only resume normal relations with Mogadishu when the central government respected the country's federal structure.

GAROWE ONLINE