Somalia: Puntland State Says Hassan Sheikh Is Seeking to Destabilize Galkayo
AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State has accused term-ended President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of attempting to inflame tensions and weaken security in the Federal State.
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In a statement released late Thursday, Puntland State said it was monitoring plans for a potential visit by Hassan Sheikh to southern Galkayo, an area administered by neighbouring Galmudug state.
The administration characterized the proposed trip as an effort to provoke “discord and conflict” in Galkayo, a divided city whose northern and southern sections are home to communities aligned with Puntland State and Galmudug respectively. Puntland State commended southern Galkayo’s authorities and residents for helping preserve stability, and called on them to reject what it described as Hassan Sheikh’s “new attempts” to cause unrest.
Puntland State said it had placed its security forces on full alert and would introduce further measures to reinforce security throughout the region, with particular attention to Galkayo and nearby areas.
It also said Hassan Sheikh would bear responsibility for any fallout from what it called attempts to stir “discord and conflict” in the central Somali region of Mudug.
The allegations come as political friction intensifies between Puntland State and Somalia’s federal authorities. Puntland State has recently mounted a campaign against federal government forces recruited from its territory, prompting many of those troops to surrender their weapons and join Puntland State forces.
Hassan Sheikh, whose four-year presidential mandate ended in May 2026, has not publicly addressed Puntland State’s latest allegations. He has previously said Somalia’s political disputes must not reignite past conflicts or put the country’s unity and security at risk.
AXADLETM
