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Puntland reaffirms opposition to Mogadishu’s centralization push, demands reforms
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    Wednesday March 12, 2025


    FILE - Puntland’s Minister of Information, Mahmoud Aydid Dirir, speaks at a press conference

    Garowe (HOL) — The Puntland administration has reiterated its opposition to the Federal Government of Somalia, demanding meaningful reforms before reconsidering its stance. The region accuses Mogadishu of attempting to centralize power at the expense of federalism, a long-standing issue that has fueled tensions between the two sides.

    Speaking at a press conference in Garowe, Puntland’s Minister of Information, Mahmoud Aydid Dirir, alleged that the federal government is actively working to destabilize Puntland by leveraging politicians from the region who serve in the Somali government. He insisted that Puntland would only restore relations if the federal government halted what he described as attempts to dismantle the federal system.

    “President Hassan Sheikh has one year and a few months left in his term. Once that time expires, he will leave office,” Dirir stated, reinforcing Puntland’s position of waiting out the administration rather than negotiating under the current leadership.

    Beyond governance disputes, Dirir criticized Hassan Sheikh’s handling of Somalia’s security situation, arguing that while the national army consists of brave soldiers, it lacks a government that fully supports its mission. Somalia's federal government has consistently denied the allegations and claimed that the Puntland government rejected federal support.

    The dispute also extends to Somalia’s electoral system. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has pushed for a transition to universal suffrage, aiming to replace the indirect clan-based voting system with direct elections. 

    Tensions between Puntland and Somalia’s central government have deepened in recent months following President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s push for constitutional amendments. In April 2024, his administration introduced changes to transition Somalia’s political system from a parliamentary to a presidential model, which Puntland and other federal member states have opposed. Puntland’s leadership views these amendments as efforts to dismantle the federal structure, eroding the autonomy that allows regions to self-govern. In response, Puntland withdrew from the federal system, stating it would operate independently until the constitutional changes were subjected to a nationwide referendum.

     





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