Somalia Leader Seeks to Reconcile with Puntland, Jubaland Amid Political Rift

MOGADISHU, Somalia - To avert a looming political crisis in Somalia, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says he is ready to reconcile with leaders of Puntland and Jubaland, arguing that nation-building should be a responsibility of every Somali, not necessarily being in leadership.

Hassan Sheikh is at loggerheads with President Ahmed Madobe (Jubaland) and Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, both of whom have rebuked plans for term extensions for Federal states' leaders and the Federal Government in Mogadishu.

In their objection, the two leaders have also challenged constitutional changes, arguing that it was improper for Hassan Sheikh to initiate the process without proper consultations. 

And now, Hassan Sheikh says he is ready to visit the two regional states and address the concerns if they invite him for talks. Madobe hastily abandoned the National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting in Mogadishu days ago while Deni chose to boycott.

Hassan Sheikh's statement comes at a time when the federal government’s National Consultative Council (NCC) decided to extend the terms of three regional leaders - Galmudug, HirShabelle and Southwest by one year, raising constitutional concerns.

Somalia's federal government, along with Galmudug, HirShabelle, and Southwest leaders on Wednesday announced they have agreed to delay the scheduled popular elections originally set for 2024, pushing them into 2025. The revised timeline now includes direct local elections planned for June 2025, with regional parliamentary and leadership elections to follow in September 2025.

However, it's notable that this agreement did not include the participation of the regional states of Jubaland and Puntland, indicating a lack of unanimity among all stakeholders in Somalia's complex political landscape. This decision reflects ongoing challenges in unifying the electoral process across Somalia's federal and regional governance structures.

Critics argue that this move paves the way for an unlawful extension of the President's term when his tenure concludes. Previously, Hassan Sheikh pledged to implement universal suffrage elections in Somalia—a promise experts say remains unfeasible.

On Tuesday night, President of the Federal Government of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced during a dinner at Villa Somalia that he will appear before both houses of Parliament on Thursday, October 31, to address many other concerns.

Sources from Garowe Online reveal that the President will request an additional 45 days for Parliament to approve an agreement—a controversial term extension for three regional leaders. It remains unknown if he will visit Jubaland and Puntland after Parliament endorsed his extension plan.

The Federal Republic of Somalia has for decades used indirect polls as a model for elections where clan elders wield a lot of power and influence. Jubaland and Puntland say changing to a direct model needs time and a lot of resources, a dilemma they say could stagnate the 2026 elections.

GAROWE ONLINE