Sunday April 27, 2025
Garowe (HOL) — Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni on Saturday urged Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to honor his pledge to open political dialogue with key stakeholders, as tensions over constitutional amendments and federal relations continue to simmer.
Speaking at an event in Garowe, Deni called for a genuine and inclusive dialogue but did not clarify whether Puntland would participate in the upcoming National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting scheduled for May.
Deni criticized the federal government’s recent constitutional changes, calling for the amendments to be reversed and insisting that every step in the political process be thoroughly examined.
“The President announced that he is offering a platform for those who have influence over Somali politics. I urge him to make good on this,” Deni said. “Puntland has already announced a platform for dialogue and called on the Somali people to come together to reach a lasting solution.”
He also stressed that both Houses of Parliament have a duty to safeguard national unity and reject any actions that undermine the cohesion of the Somali people.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has invited political leaders—including opposition figures and federal member state presidents—to attend the NCC forum in Mogadishu. The goal is to forge a unified national strategy to defeat the Al-Shabaab insurgency and to strengthen Somalia’s evolving federal system.
The call for dialogue comes against the backdrop of heightened political tensions. Puntland and Jubbaland leaders, along with former Presidents Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, have accused the current administration of violating constitutional principles, mishandling election preparations, and acting unilaterally in the war against Al-Shabaab.
The National Consultative Council, chaired by President Mohamud, serves as Somalia’s top political coordination body, bringing together federal and state leaders to shape national policy on security, elections, and governance reforms.
