Northeastern State Dismisses Somali Federal Government’s Allegations Regarding Oil Exploration Halt

FILE – The Federal Minister of Oil of Somalia, Abdirizak Omar Mohamed (left), and Northeastern State’s Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Abdifitah Mohamed Nur (right), stand amid a bubbling row over oil exploration rights in Northeastern State.

Mogadishu (AX) — Northeastern State officials have flat-out tossed aside accusations from the Federal Minister of Oil that the area’s ruling brass is throwing a wrench in federal oil plans. This kerfuffle has turned up the heat between Northeastern State and Mogadishu, shining a spotlight on the perennial clash over who holds the reins to precious resources and regional independence.

Abdifitah Mohamed Nur, Northeastern State’s Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, shot back in a chinwag with the BBC, branding the accusations as “totally baseless.” He proudly pointed out that Northeastern State blazed the trail for Somalia in oil exploration, lamenting, “Northeastern State spearheaded Somalia’s pioneering oil exploration. It’s a bummer when these charges pop up, only to be taken back later with a load of apologies.”

The hullabaloo kicked off after Northeastern State President Said Abdullahi Deni made some waves in a parliamentary shindig. Following this, Federal Minister Abdirizak Omar Mohamed fingered Deni in thwarting federal oil projects and trying to rope in a sole private firm—assertions that Northeastern State says are pure hogwash.

Minister Abdirizak argued, “President Deni didn’t just rub against our oil surveys in Northeastern State. He also pushed to engage his own outfit, gunning for signing rights over tasks that are really in the federal scope.” He continued, “We need to serve the wider Somali community, not just play to regional gripes.”

In rebuttal, Abdifitah cleared the air, saying there haven’t been any hush-hush discussions about exclusive oil undertakings or private pacts between Northeastern State and the central government. He brushed off rumors of secret pacts with outsiders, asserting that Northeastern State is all-in for open and fair resource-sharing deals that honor Somalia’s cohesion. “No sneaky backdoor bargains here,” Abdifitah stressed. “We’re all about transparency and deals that benefit everyone.”

This spat comes alongside a shiny new onshore arrangement with Turkey, where an oil survey vessel is now scouring the waters off Galmudug’s coast. This project is part of a federal push to bring foreign money into Somalia’s raw, untouched energy scene, boosted by a fresh national resource map rollout in Mogadishu.

Defying the charges, Abdifitah reaffirmed Northeastern State’s cheerleading for Somalia’s economic boom. “Northeastern State has never been a speed bump for Somalia’s growth. We dig every step toward independence and advancement for the whole nation,” he emphasized, glossing over Northeastern State’s no-show at the latest resource-sharing powwows in Mogadishu.

Northeastern State’s rapport with Somalia’s Federal Government took a nosedive when President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud grabbed the reins. The regional governance has given the cold shoulder to the National Consultative Council confabs, grousing about the federal folks dropping surprise constitutional bombs that, as Northeastern State sees it, gnaw away at their self-governance and grip on local riches.

Edited by: Ali Musa

alimusa@axadletimes.com

Axadle international–Monitoring