Northeastern State Condemns NCC Gathering and Opposes Appointment of New Federal Police Chief

Garowe (AX) – The Northeastern State Information Minister, Mohamud Aydid Dirir, has taken a jab at the National Consultative Council (NCC) gathering happening in Mogadishu, as well as the recent naming of Somalia’s new police chief.

Dirir, speaking from Garowe on Thursday, voiced his doubts concerning the NCC’s competence in tackling Somalia’s significant troubles, particularly highlighted in Baidoa and Northeastern State.

“This meeting is superfluous and ineffective in resolving Somalia’s pressing challenges, especially those in Baidoa and Northeastern State,” Dirir remarked.

Northeastern State’s President, Said Abdullahi Deni, not showing up at the NCC meeting highlights the simmering political beef with federal leaders, notably with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Additionally, Dirir downplayed the importance of Diyano’s installation as the police chief, stressing that it wouldn’t sway Northeastern State’s position regarding the Federal Government.

“Named a federal police honcho won’t shake Northeastern State’s view; anyone from our neck of the woods joining the federal government is under Mogadishu’s purview,” Dirir declared.

General Asad Osman Abdullahi Diyano, a native of Northeastern State, has been recently appointed as Somalia’s top cop, replacing Major General Sulub Ahmed Firin, who now holds the post of Deputy Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation. Despite his new role, Diyano faces pushback from Northeastern State’s leadership as he’s seen as not toeing the current regional administration’s line.

In an alternate message, Northeastern State Vice President Ilyas Elmi Lugatoor accentuated that the tussle with the Federal Government is about policies, not personal grudges. He stated that Northeastern State’s resistance to the federal leadership would stand firm, irrespective of who holds the prime minister’s or president’s chair, if their policies clash with Northeastern State’s objectives.

“Anyone ascending to the prime minister’s or president’s role in Somalia will face our opposition if he acts against Northeastern State’s interests, even if he’s from Northeastern State,” Lugatoor asserted, advocating for governance that respects the agreed constitutional framework.

The discord between Northeastern State and the Federal Government took a turn for the worse in May 2023, after Northeastern State’s leadership failed in their quest to secure the Prime Minister’s title. Deni’s backing of President Mohamud during the 2022 presidential race made many political pundits predict Deni as the likely candidate for the prime minister post. Alas, it was not to be, leading to today’s frosty relations.

Edited by: Ali Musa

Axadle international–Monitoring