Garowe (KAAB TV) – The Puntland administration has strongly criticized individuals from the region who are participating in the ongoing political consultation conference in Mogadishu, asserting that they do not represent the interests or the will of the people of Puntland.
Speaking to the media in Garowe, Puntland’s Minister of Information, Mohamud Ayidi Dirir, dismissed these participants as politically irrelevant and accused them of previously contributing to instability within Puntland. According to the minister, these individuals have no legitimate mandate or grassroots support and are being manipulated for political gain in the capital.
“These individuals have already failed in Puntland’s political landscape,” said Minister Dirir. “They were behind efforts to incite violence and division in our region. The people of Puntland have decisively rejected their influence — they are a political cancer that has been removed and will not be allowed to return.”
Dirir also criticized the national-level consultation process underway in Mogadishu, calling it unproductive and lacking genuine inclusivity. He accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of monopolizing the political process and failing to provide a platform for meaningful national dialogue.
“The president has sidelined real political stakeholders and instead handpicked individuals who have no standing or support in their respective communities,” he said. “This meeting will not yield any positive outcome because it excludes genuine representation and honest negotiation.”
The minister further expressed disappointment in Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre, accusing him of failing to fulfill his political duties, particularly in terms of equitable power-sharing and fostering inclusive national dialogue.
Despite the Puntland government’s strong stance, it has been confirmed that some opposition figures, civil society representatives, and independent politicians from Puntland are attending the Mogadishu meeting. These individuals, while politically active, do not hold any official positions within the Puntland administration.
The divide underscores ongoing tensions between regional states and the federal government, highlighting persistent disputes over representation, power-sharing, and the broader direction of Somalia’s political future.