Garowe (AX) — Puntland State is urging the United Nations Security Council to step into Somalia’s escalating political crisis, pressing for an inclusive national dialogue, direct international security support for the regional administration and the reimposition of restrictions on arms entering the country.
In a Sept. 13 letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council president, Puntland State said the measures were necessary to keep political tensions from weakening counterterrorism efforts and pushing Somalia toward further instability. The administration described the letter as an advance briefing before a Security Council meeting on Somalia expected in October.
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Puntland State accused Somalia’s federal government of backing rival administrations, armed groups and political figures in areas under Puntland State’s control since 2023, allegations that were not independently substantiated in the letter. It said the alleged campaign was designed to undermine Puntland State and reduce its leverage in talks over Somalia’s federal structure.
Somalia’s federal government had not publicly responded to the letter at the time of publication.
The dispute is part of a broader confrontation between Mogadishu and Puntland State over constitutional amendments, elections and the division of authority between the federal government and Somalia’s member states.
Puntland State said the constitutional mandates of the federal parliament and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ended in April and May respectively. It asked the Security Council to support negotiations on a transitional electoral roadmap, warning that the standoff could produce a parallel administration and that Puntland State might ultimately consider a permanent break with Mogadishu.
Mohamud disputes the assertion that his term has ended. He says constitutional amendments approved by the federal government extended the mandates of federal institutions to five years, meaning his term would run until May 2027. Puntland State, Jubaland and opposition politicians reject those changes.
One of Puntland State’s central demands was for the Security Council to reconsider its decision to lift the arms embargo on Somalia.
The administration said Somalia has no shared national framework for controlling weapons and warned that sophisticated arms—including drones, missiles and anti-aircraft systems—could be diverted into political conflicts or seized by militant groups.
The Security Council lifted the decades-old general arms embargo on Somalia’s federal government in December 2023. Restrictions still apply to al-Shabab and designated individuals and entities, while certain weapons transfers to other Somali actors remain subject to U.N. procedures.
Puntland State also called for the renewal of the U.N. Panel of Experts’ mandate to monitor weapons trafficking, criminal networks and militant organizations. The panel’s mandate, however, has already been extended through Dec. 31, 2026, under Security Council Resolution 2806.
Galkayo clashes and drone allegations
The letter pointed to August fighting in Galkayo as evidence of what Puntland State characterized as federal meddling in its security affairs.
Puntland State alleged that weapons and equipment were transported by air to the Galmudug-controlled southern part of Galkayo on Aug. 4, with the intention of moving them into northern Galkayo. It said clashes the next day ended with Puntland State forces capturing a camp near Abdullahi Yusuf Airport, detaining 101 people and confiscating weapons, vehicles and other equipment.
The federal government has previously rejected Puntland State’s descriptions of security operations and political developments in the area.
Puntland State also expressed alarm over the deployment of air power in internal disputes. It referred to a Sept. 3 drone strike on the Dollow residence of a former senior security official dismissed by the federal government, saying the use of such weapons in political confrontations marked a dangerous escalation. The letter did not identify those responsible for the strike.
Separately, Puntland State accused Turkish forces of launching airstrikes along its coast on Aug. 18 and 20, claiming the attacks killed 14 Somali nationals and destroyed fishing boats. It said the operations took place without coordination with Puntland State’s maritime forces.
The claims have not been independently verified.
Puntland State said its confrontation with Mogadishu was drawing personnel and resources away from operations against the Islamic State group and piracy.
The regional administration said its forces had spent the past two years battling Islamic State militants in the Cal Miskaad mountains without personnel, funding or equipment from the federal government. It also accused Mogadishu of failing to stop al-Shabab from recapturing territory elsewhere in central Somalia.
Puntland State said piracy had risen as well, reporting 19 incidents so far this year and claiming that five vessels were being held along its coastline. It urged the international community to restore naval cooperation with its maritime and land-based security forces.
Under what it called a return to a “dual track” policy, Puntland State asked international donors to deliver security, humanitarian and economic assistance directly to the regional administration instead of routing all support through Mogadishu.
Puntland State further appealed to the Security Council to extend the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia, UNTMIS, beyond its planned end date.
The Security Council has determined that UNTMIS will finish its transition and end operations on Oct. 31, 2026. Its responsibilities are to be handed over to Somalia, U.N. agencies and other partners.
Puntland State said worsening political divisions, the militant threat and renewed piracy made continued international support through the mission necessary.
In closing, the regional government warned that frustration with Somalia’s federal project was growing among the public. It said Puntland State’s leaders were facing increasing pressure from residents who support full independence from Mogadishu after years of disputes over power-sharing and relations within the federation.
