AXADLE, Somalia — Somalia’s political crisis is threatening the country’s statehood, Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni warned on Sunday as he accused the federal government of dismantling the nation’s federal system and breaking key political agreements.
Opening the 59th session of Puntland State’s parliament, Deni called for an urgent national conference to settle disputes over elections, constitutional amendments and the future balance of power between Mogadishu and Somalia’s federal member states.
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He blamed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term-ended administration for failing to uphold the agreements that support Somalia’s federal structure, saying the country had entered a dangerous phase.
“Puntland State has always stood for building a federal Somali state, and we have invested every kind of effort to achieve stability and establish complete systems of governance,” Deni said.
“I deeply regret that the country has now entered a situation that threatens the Somali statehood that has been built over a long period.”
Deni said earlier political agreements had been discarded, including Somalia’s 2012 provisional constitution, which he described as an essential framework for cooperation among the country’s political actors.
He accused Hassan of rejecting elections organised under an agreement reached by political stakeholders and of blocking dialogue aimed at resolving Somalia’s political disputes.
The Puntland State president also alleged that instability had deepened to the extent that officials who had served the country were being targeted in drone attacks and peaceful areas were being pushed into turmoil.
He further claimed that the federal government was deploying national security forces in ways that harmed the country and enabled the seizure of public and private property. The allegations were not independently verified.
“Everything that had been agreed upon has fallen away, most recently the 2012 provisional constitution,” Deni said, referring to the document that has guided Somalia’s federal political system.
Deni, who has repeatedly confronted the federal government over constitutional reforms and electoral arrangements, said Puntland State would reject any election process designed solely by Villa Somalia, the federal presidency’s headquarters in Mogadishu.
The latest dispute has emerged against a backdrop of wider tensions over constitutional amendments, preparations for future elections and the division of authority between the federal government and Somalia’s member states.
Puntland State has maintained that major constitutional and electoral decisions must be based on broad political consensus. The disagreement over that process has further strained relations between Garowe and Mogadishu.
Deni urged Somalis concerned about the country’s direction to attend an immediate national conference focused on protecting state institutions and establishing a mutually accepted path forward.
He said Puntland State would consult the Somali public and the international community about its opposition to the federal government’s electoral plans.
“I fully understand the feelings of the people of Puntland State, and I promise you that I will not make decisions that are unworthy of you,” Deni told lawmakers.
He said Hassan and those who backed his decisions would be held responsible for the consequences of the current political crisis.
The federal government’s response to Deni’s latest statements was not included in the statement.
Somalia has spent years trying to establish a broadly accepted constitution and a durable electoral system after decades of conflict and political fragmentation. Persistent disputes between the federal authorities and regional administrations continue to impede political consensus and the development of democratic institutions.
AXADLETM
