Puntland President Warns Somalia Faces Threat to Statehood Amid Election Dispute

GAROWE, Somalia — Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni on Sunday accused Somalia’s term-ended federal government of undermining the country’s federal system and political agreements, calling for a national conference to resolve disputes over elections and constitutional amendments.

Speaking at the opening of the 59th session of Puntland’s parliament, Deni said Somalia had entered what he described as a dangerous period for statehood, blaming President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration for failing to honour agreements underpinning the country’s federal system.

“Puntland has always stood for building a federal Somali state, and we have invested every kind of effort to achieve stability and establish complete systems of governance,” Deni said.

“I deeply regret that the country has now entered a situation that threatens the Somali statehood that has been built over a long period.”

Deni said previous political agreements had been abandoned, including Somalia’s provisional constitution, which he said had provided a framework for political cooperation.

He accused Hassan of refusing to organise elections based on an agreement among political stakeholders and of obstructing dialogue intended to resolve the country’s political disputes.

The Puntland leader also alleged that political instability had escalated to the point where officials who had served the country were being targeted by drone attacks, while peaceful areas were being destabilised.

He further accused the federal government of using national security forces to damage the country and seize public and private property. The allegations were not independently verified.

“Everything that had been agreed upon has fallen away, most recently the 2012 provisional constitution,” Deni said, referring to the framework that has guided Somalia’s federal political system.

Deni, who has repeatedly clashed with the federal government over constitutional changes and electoral arrangements, said Puntland would not accept what he described as an election process designed exclusively by Villa Somalia, the seat of the federal presidency in Mogadishu.

The dispute comes amid broader political tensions over constitutional amendments, the organisation of future elections and the division of powers between Somalia’s federal government and its member states.

Puntland has argued that major constitutional and electoral decisions require broad political agreement, while disagreements over the process have strained relations between Garowe and Mogadishu.

Deni called on Somalis concerned about the country’s future to convene an urgent national conference aimed at safeguarding state institutions and reaching agreement on the way forward.

He said Puntland would also consult the Somali public and the international community over its objections to the federal government’s electoral plans.

“I fully understand the feelings of the people of Puntland, and I promise you that I will not make decisions that are unworthy of you,” Deni told lawmakers.

He said Hassan and those who had supported his decisions would bear responsibility for the consequences of the current political situation.

The federal government’s response to Deni’s latest remarks was not included in the statement.

Somalia has struggled for years to establish an agreed constitutional framework and a stable electoral system following decades of conflict and political fragmentation. Disagreements between the federal government and regional administrations remain a major challenge to political consensus and the development of democratic institutions.

GAROWE ONLINE