GAROWE (WDN)— The Puntland Government has firmly rejected the upcoming national dialogue proposed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing Villa Somalia of attempting to handpick participants and manipulate the political process to serve its own agenda. This rejection adds to the mounting opposition to President Hassan’s approach to national dialogue. Recently, the Somali Salvation Forum—a coalition of prominent opposition figures—also voiced skepticism over the meeting, stating that the President is seeking endorsement for unilateral decisions on constitutional changes and electoral reforms.

In a pointed statement posted on social media, Puntland’s Minister of Justice, Mohamed Abdiwahab, made it clear that Puntland will not participate in any talks unless the federal government recognizes the recent Jubaland elections, which saw President Ahmed Madobe re-elected by his constituents.

The rejection underscores growing frustration with what many in Puntland, Jubaland and the oppositions, see as President Hassan’s increasingly authoritarian approach — one that seeks to exclude key stakeholders while staging carefully controlled conferences designed to give the illusion of national consensus.

“Today, no one is willing to sit at the table with you unless you return to the lawful and constitutional framework agreed upon by the Somali people in August 2012, accept the Jubaland elections carried out by its people, and end your aggression against both Jubaland and Puntland,” Minister Abdiwahab stated.

Puntland further criticized Villa Somalia’s ongoing political and military pressure campaigns against regional states that refuse to submit to federal overreach. According to Puntland officials, President Hassan’s push for dialogue is little more than a political theater aimed at sidelining opposition voices while consolidating his own power.

The current standoff highlights deepening divisions within Somalia’s fragile federal system, where regional administrations like Puntland and Jubaland accuse Mogadishu of systematically undermining the autonomy enshrined in the Provisional Constitution of 2012.

Observers warn that President Hassan’s attempt to dictate the terms and participants of the conference may further alienate federal member states and jeopardize any hope for meaningful national reconciliation.

WardheerNews