Garowe (KAAB TV) – The government of Puntland has firmly rejected a new directive issued by the Federal Government of Somalia that mandates individuals to obtain a Somali passport before they can be issued a National Identity Card.
Speaking at a press briefing, Puntland’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Abdi Farah Juhaa, condemned the decision in strong terms. He criticized the requirement as punitive and unjust, pointing out that the Somali passport is one of the least effective in the world for international travel. Juhaa argued that enforcing such conditions on citizens amounts to systemic oppression.
“The Somali passport is among the worst globally in terms of immigration freedom. Forcing our people to acquire it before receiving a national ID is a form of punishment and injustice. When power is centralized in one hand, it leads to tyranny,” Minister Juhaa stated.
The minister further accused the federal government of advancing political agendas under the guise of administrative reform, stating that Puntland was neither consulted nor in agreement with the changes. He emphasized that the policy undermines federalism and marginalizes regional administrations.
In line with its opposition, the Puntland administration has already cautioned its residents about the policy. The regional government insists that the move to tie national ID issuance to passport possession lacks national consensus and is driven by narrow political interests rather than genuine governance reform.
This dispute comes just a day after Somalia’s Ministry of Internal Security and the NIRA (National Identification and Registration Authority) Agency issued a joint press release outlining the new requirements. According to the statement, starting from September 2025, anyone applying for a Somali passport must first obtain a NIRA-issued national ID card. Furthermore, from January 1, 2026, possession of this ID card will be mandatory for all domestic travel within Somalia.
The announcement has sparked criticism from various political actors and civil society groups, who view the policy as exclusionary and logistically burdensome, particularly in regions like Puntland where trust in federal institutions is already strained.
As tensions grow between Puntland and the federal government over the centralization of key administrative functions, this latest controversy is likely to fuel further debate over Somalia’s federal structure, equitable governance, and the balance of power between Mogadishu and regional states.