Sunday May 4, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — The SSC-Khaatumo administration has dismissed recent criticism from Puntland, saying it is under no obligation to consult the Puntland regional government about its relationship with Somalia’s Federal Government.
SSC-Khaatumo Information Minister Najib Barkhadle Warsame on Saturday responded to Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni’s remarks expressing dissatisfaction with SSC-Khaatumo’s alignment with the federal government.
“Puntland did not consult us when forming ties with separatist administrations working to divide Somalia, which itself is unconstitutional,” said Minister Warsame. “So how can it expect us to consult them about our relationship with the legitimate Federal Government of Somalia?”
Minister Warsame emphasized that both SSC-Khaatumo and Puntland have the right to engage with the federal government as equal stakeholders and denied that SSC-Khaatumo had taken any unlawful steps in its political engagement.
He further noted that SSC-Khaatumo had made multiple efforts to initiate formal discussions with the Puntland administration but had received no response, particularly from President Deni.
“Our political and public interest lies in working with the Federal Government,” said Warsame. “We want SSC-Khaatumo parliamentary seats to be elected from within our territories, not reassigned elsewhere.”
The remarks came as SSC-Khaatumo leader Abdulqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali Firdhiye arrived in Mogadishu on Saturday, ahead of the National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting scheduled to begin Monday.
Firdhiye and his delegation were received at Aden Adde International Airport by senior federal officials and public members, marking the first time SSC-Khaatumo will participate in the NCC since declaring itself a federal member state last year.
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre formally recognized SSC-Khaatumo as a federal member state following a historic visit to Las Anod last month. The administration emerged from months of conflict with Somaliland forces and has since consolidated control over the Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions.
Tensions between SSC-Khaatumo and Puntland have simmered over overlapping territorial claims and diverging political allegiances, particularly as Puntland continues to assert administrative influence over parts of the disputed territory.
