Wednesday April 8, 2026
Garowe (HOL) — Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni on Tuesday accused Somalia’s federal government of pursuing a political strategy aimed at weakening the country’s federal system, warning that recent statements by officials close to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signal an attempt to centralize power.
Speaking in Qardho district, Deni said that remarks attributed to Sheikh Ali Wajiis, an adviser to President Mohamud, suggested the federal government should directly administer regional states, an idea he described as a direct threat to Somalia’s federal system.
He added that such views reflect broader thinking within the federal leadership and warned that responsibility ultimately rests with the president.
Deni said Puntland, which established its own administrative and security institutions more than two decades ago, would resist any attempt to dismantle its governance structures.
“We have built institutions for over 20 years. Any attempt to destroy that system will jeopardize the stability and progress achieved,” he said.
The Puntland leader stressed that Somalia’s unity must be based on mutual agreement rather than coercion.
“The Somali people can only live together under a system they have agreed upon,” he said. “It is impossible to force them into a framework they are not satisfied with.”
Deni also accused the federal government of seeking exclusive control over natural resources in Puntland territory, calling such a move unacceptable and contrary to the principles underpinning Somalia’s federal arrangements.
His remarks come amid heightened political tensions following the federal government’s recent takeover of Southwest State and the appointment of an interim administration in Baidoa. That intervention has sparked a broader national debate over constitutional authority and the balance of power between Mogadishu and federal member states.
Puntland, along with Jubbaland has expressed concern that recent constitutional amendments and federal actions risk concentrating authority in the presidency and weakening Somalia’s fragile federal framework.
Federal officials have defended their actions as necessary to preserve national security and advance electoral reforms, including the implementation of one-person, one-vote elections.
