Garowe (Kaa TV) – The Council of Ministers of the Puntland Government of Somalia, chaired by Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, held a meeting in the Puntland capital of Garowe on May 21, 2026, to extensively discuss the security and political situation in Somalia, particularly issues concerning the Federal Government of Somalia.
The Puntland Government issued a statement declaring that the terms of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the Federal Parliament have expired under the provisional constitution.
The administration also backed resolutions by the Somali Future Council and called for accountability in managing Somalia’s electoral and constitutional processes.
The meeting concluded with decisive resolutions aimed at safeguarding the unity and cohesion of the Somali people, while reaffirming Puntland’s commitment to defending the constitutional framework of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
The Puntland Council of Ministers, citing Article 91 of Somalia’s Provisional Federal Constitution, stated that the term of the former President of the Federal Republic of Somalia ended on May 15, 2026. Consequently, Puntland declared that Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is now recognized as a former president and no longer has the legal authority to occupy or continue operating from the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
The Puntland Government also stated, in accordance with Article 60 of the Provisional Constitution, that the terms of the Federal Parliament expired on April 14, 2026, and therefore the legal mandate of both houses of the Federal Parliament has ended.
The Puntland Council of Ministers further expressed support for and welcomed the resolutions issued by the Somali Future Council during its meeting in Mogadishu on May 15, 2026, which also declared that the mandates of former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the Federal Parliament had expired.
The Puntland Government also called for responsibility and accountability in the management of the electoral process for the country’s constitutional institutions.
The Federal Government, by violating its own constitution, has also established a disputed electoral committee that does not have legal legitimacy under the Provisional Constitution or the 2012 political agreement, and therefore has no lawful authority to oversee elections for the Federal Member States of Somalia.
Accordingly, the Puntland Government declares that the Somali people and the international community should recognize that Somalia’s federal institutions have entered a transitional period and that the legal mandates previously granted to Somali federal institutions have expired.
Puntland therefore urges all parties to respect constitutional limits until an agreed-upon election for the Federal Parliament and Presidency of Somalia is held.
In particular, Puntland calls on international organizations and foreign governments to engage directly with the Puntland Government until a legitimate and legally recognized federal authority is established through consensus.
The Puntland Council of Ministers also condemned the intimidation, harassment, and restrictions allegedly imposed by former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Somali citizens living in Mogadishu.
Furthermore, Puntland called on Somali citizens to participate in efforts aimed at saving the country and rebuilding the Somali state, which it said had regressed after significant time and effort had been invested in restoring it.
The Puntland Government also expressed gratitude to international partners for their continued support and contributions toward Somalia’s recovery and state-building efforts.
Finally, the Puntland Council of Ministers urged the people of Puntland, both within the region and abroad, to remain united and firmly defend the constitutional principles of Somalia’s federal institutions.
