Puntland State and Federal Officials Attend Clan Ceremony Together in Somalia’s Mudug

Somali federal, Puntland State officials share stage in Galdogob as new clan chief is inaugurated

Sunday, February 8, 2026

GALDOGOB, Somalia — Senior officials from Somalia’s federal government and the Puntland State administration appeared together in public for the first time in years on Sunday during the inauguration of a traditional clan leader in Galdogob district, signaling a tentative easing of tensions while underscoring the political weight of customary authority.

Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni sat alongside federal officials at the ceremony installing Ugaas Abdirahman Ugaas Mohamed as the new traditional chief of the Tanade Darood clan. Among the federal representatives were Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Xoosh and Abdullahi Hirsi Timacadde, the second deputy speaker of the Upper House, as well as other ministers and members of parliament.

The gathering marked the first official visit by a federal delegation to Puntland State territory in several years, following a prolonged rift that saw Puntland State suspend cooperation with Mogadishu and federal authorities sideline Puntland State figures from key national roles. The visiting officials said their attendance was in a cultural capacity, but the event unfolded against the backdrop of a bitter political rivalry over constitutional amendments and the management of Somalia’s electoral process.

• Why it matters: The joint appearance hints at a fragile thaw between Puntland State and the federal government after years of open estrangement.
• The occasion: Installation of Ugaas Abdirahman Ugaas Mohamed as chief of the Tanade Darood clan in Galdogob.
• Who was there: Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni; federal Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Xoosh; Upper House second deputy speaker Abdullahi Hirsi Timacadde; and other federal ministers and MPs.
• Political stakes: Traditional elders retain decisive influence, including over the selection of clan representatives to parliament.

Ugaas Abdirahman will join Puntland State’s council of traditional elders and take on responsibility for overseeing community affairs. His role is expected to carry political significance beyond customary mediation — including shaping the selection of members of parliament representing his clan at the federal level, a process that remains pivotal in Somalia’s hybrid political system.

The timing is consequential. As Somalia edges toward a new and still-uncertain electoral cycle, doubts persist over whether the country can implement a one-person, one-vote system nationwide. That uncertainty elevates the influence of traditional elders, whose endorsement and arbitration remain central to governance and electoral legitimacy in much of the country.

Sunday’s ceremony drew leaders from both Puntland State and Mogadishu who were widely seen as working to build rapport with the newly inaugurated chieftain. With political alignments in flux ahead of potential elections, cultivating ties with influential elders has become a strategic priority — particularly in constituencies where customary leaders help determine parliamentary lineups and broker local consensus.

The event also served as a reminder of how cultural gatherings double as political theater in Somalia. While framed as a community milestone for the Tanade Darood, the ceremony conveyed calibrated signals: Puntland State’s willingness to host federal dignitaries and the federal government’s readiness to engage in Puntland State territory — both rare gestures in recent years.

Whether these optics translate into a durable reset remains unclear. The structural disputes between Garowe and Mogadishu — from control over electoral rules and timelines to competing interpretations of constitutional authority — have repeatedly derailed cooperation. Still, the optics of senior figures sharing a stage in Galdogob suggest that both sides see value in lowering the temperature, at least in the run-up to decisions that will again call on elders to bridge political divides.

For Ugaas Abdirahman, the mandate begins in a moment when customary leadership is once more at the center of Somali politics. His influence within the council of elders and among clan constituencies will be closely watched, not only in Puntland State but across the federal architecture where local authority and national power remain deeply intertwined.

By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.