Puntland State Says Somalia Has Entered Constitutional Vacuum, Calls for Urgent Talks

AXADLE, Somalia — Puntland State has said Somalia has slipped into a constitutional vacuum, warning that the country’s political atmosphere is growing more fragile and urging immediate talks to avert deeper instability.

In a statement issued Thursday, Puntland State’s cabinet said that under Article 60 of Somalia’s provisional constitution, the mandate of the Federal Parliament expired on April 14, 2026. It also said the term of the president of the Federal Government of Somalia will come to an end on May 15, 2026, in line with Article 91.

The northeastern federal state said the expiration of those mandates has left federal institutions in a state of constitutional uncertainty, raising the risk of political collapse and broader security unrest.

Puntland State called on the Somali president to protect national unity and to convene an emergency conference before his term expires, with the aim of securing a consensus on elections for federal institutions, including parliament and the presidency, as well as ballots for the federal member states.

The statement emphasized that broad agreement among political actors is needed to curb rising tensions and maintain continuity in governance.

AXADLETM