Puntland accuses federal government of endangering security personnel

Puntland has accused leaders of Somalia’s Federal Government of endangering the lives of officers and security personnel assigned to protect the President of Puntland, who were traveling to Mogadishu ahead of a planned national dialogue meeting.

In a press statement issued by the Puntland Presidency, the regional administration claimed that actions taken by the President of the Federal Government were deliberately aimed at undermining the proposed dialogue, commonly referred to as the “gogosha,” which was expected to take place in Mogadishu. Puntland alleged that the federal leadership appeared displeased by the decision of the Somali Future Council to accept participation in the talks.

According to the statement, Puntland said technical committees representing the Somali Future Council and the Federal Government’s conference preparation committee had already agreed on arrangements to ensure the smooth convening of the meeting. However, Puntland argues that subsequent actions by the federal leadership contradicted these understandings.

“From the moment Puntland and the Somali Future Council accepted participation in the dialogue proposed by the Federal Government, the President of the Federal Government has taken steps clearly intended to derail the agreed forum, seemingly not expecting that the Somali Future Council would accept the invitation,” the statement read.

Puntland further warned that it considers unacceptable what it described as a pattern of behavior by federal leaders that risks deepening divisions and undermining national unity. The regional state said it was informing both the Somali public and the international community of its concerns, framing the issue as one that threatens cohesion and cooperation among Somali stakeholders.

The allegations also include claims that security teams linked to Puntland and Jubbaland leadership were prevented from entering Mogadishu, a move Puntland says posed serious risks to the safety of those involved.

As of now, the Federal Government of Somalia has not issued an official response to the accusations. The situation adds to ongoing political tensions between the federal authorities and some federal member states, at a time when dialogue and consensus-building are widely viewed as critical to Somalia’s stability and political progress.