Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has accused Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni of weakening ties with Somalia’s federal government, while insisting that Puntland’s people remain committed to a united Somalia.
MOGADISHU, Somalia (Somali Report) — Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has sharply criticised Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, accusing his administration of taking steps that have weakened its links with Somalia’s federal institutions.
Hamza said Puntland had rejected or restricted the use of several national institutions and symbols, including the national education curriculum and national identity card, while allowing Somali passports to remain in use.
He stressed that his criticism was directed at Puntland’s political leadership rather than its population, saying he distinguished between the administration and the people of the northeastern state.
“It is not the people, and it is not all of Puntland. But my friend Said Abdullahi has chosen that Puntland should be separate from Somalia,” Hamza said, referring to Deni.
The prime minister said Puntland remained a federal member state and played an important role in Somalia’s national affairs. He also highlighted the contribution of Puntland security forces to military operations against armed groups, particularly Islamic State militants.
“Puntland depends on the federal system and was the first of the federal member states,” Hamza said, adding that there were still many areas where the federal government needed greater cooperation from Puntland.
His comments come amid increasingly strained relations between Mogadishu and Garowe. Deni has in recent weeks taken a harder line against the federal government, with his administration saying agreements with Mogadishu had been annulled and that Puntland would operate under its own constitutional framework until a new political settlement is reached.
The dispute has also extended to questions over national institutions and identity. Somalia has been expanding its national identification system, with authorities describing the National ID as an important part of strengthening state institutions and improving access to government services.
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Hamza also said the federal government had attempted to support Puntland during its military campaign against Islamic State in the Cal Miskaad mountains.
He said Mogadishu had established a committee involving ministers and government institutions to deliver food, medical assistance and other supplies to troops and civilians in areas affected by the fighting. According to the prime minister, Puntland authorities rejected those efforts despite the federal government being prepared to provide equipment, weapons and other forms of assistance.
Puntland has been conducting sustained military operations against Islamic State in the Cal Miskaad area, while relations between the administration and Mogadishu have remained tense over security cooperation, federalism and political arrangements. A recent UN Security Council assessment said Puntland's operations had significantly weakened Islamic State in Somalia, while estimating that the group still maintained a presence in the region.
Asked whether Puntland was following the path of neighbouring Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, Hamza rejected the comparison.
He said he knew Puntland’s communities, academics and political figures well and believed the population remained committed to a united Somalia.
“I do not believe that, because I know the people of Puntland. I know their academics, their politicians and their communities. I know where they stand on Somali nationalism. They believe in a united Somalia,” he said.
Hamza maintained that decisions taken by the current Puntland administration should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of the entire population, underscoring the distinction between Puntland’s political leadership and its people.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
