Puntland president warns Somalia could fracture amid political deadlock

KISMAYO, Somalia — Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni warned on Thursday that Somalia risks breaking apart if its political leaders fail to listen to one another, as tensions grow over the country’s governance and electoral process.

Speaking at a conference in the southern port city of Kismayo, Deni said that division would be inevitable if dialogue, mutual respect, and coexistence were to collapse.

“If we do not listen to one another, do not respect each other, and cannot live together, this has happened before,” Deni said. “We know the consequences — it leads to fragmentation.”

Deni stressed that he and other leaders attending the conference had not come to Kismayo to trade accusations with the federal government led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, but rather to seek genuine consultation and solutions to Somalia’s political challenges.

“The federal government that we all belong to carries a shared responsibility,” he said. “If we fulfill that responsibility, we have done our duty. If we neglect it, then we have failed in the obligation entrusted to us by our people.”

The Puntland leader urged President Hassan Sheikh to embrace dialogue and return to the negotiating table, arguing that only a broad-based consensus could deliver credible elections nationwide.

“Somalis need to live together,” Deni said. “Allah created us in one place so that we can coexist like other nations, live with our neighbors, and be part of the world.”

He added that Somalia’s disputes were solvable if there was political will, making a direct appeal to the president to reopen talks.

“My most important appeal is to President Hassan Sheikh to accept consultation and return to the dialogue table,” Deni said. “The country should be led toward elections agreed upon by all. Nothing more is missing than that.”

The Kismayo conference has brought together opposition figures, former leaders, and federal member state representatives, highlighting growing unease over Somalia’s political direction and the prospects for consensus ahead of future elections.

GAROWE ONLINE