Bosaso (WDN)- Members of the Puntland Parliament have voiced support for a meeting held in Mogadishu between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and a group of traditional elders from the Bari region. The meeting officially framed as a discussion on local development and cooperation, but increasingly viewed through a more political lens.

MP Farah Harun and Abdirisaaq Sh. Adun, both representing Bari region in the Puntland House of Representatives, endorsed the meeting, stating they stand behind any outcomes reached.

In a joint statement, the two MPs said: “We fully support political efforts and consultations based on mutual understanding, led by traditional elders and the country’s top leadership.” They further emphasized that elders remain central to conflict resolution and social cohesion.

Political observers and local sources who talked to WardheerNews suggest the delegation’s visit to Mogadishu may have been less about addressing community needs and more about political. According to this view, the meeting reflects internal grievances over representation and influence, rather than a purely developmental agenda.

However, behind the formal language of development and cooperation, questions are mounting about the real drivers of the meeting. President Hassan’s agenda is to exert political influence and pressure on the Puntland administration. This approach is aimed at compelling the region to acquiesce to his unilateral agenda, particularly regarding the constitutional changes and efforts to engineer his own reelection.

That interpretation has added fuel to an already heated debate, where engaging directly with the Federal Government under such circumstance’s risks signaling division within Puntland’s political and traditional leadership.

The meeting has sparked widespread criticism within Puntland, where some see it as politically timed and potentially undermining regional cohesion at a moment of strained relations between Garowe and Mogadishu.  Supporters, however, frame the engagement as pragmatic—arguing that dialogue should not be held hostage by political disputes at the leadership level. Still, the optics remain difficult to ignore.

At a time when Puntland’s leadership is locked in a broader confrontation with the Federal Government over federalism and power-sharing, the presence of elders and regional figures in Mogadishu sends a mixed message—one that blurs the line between outreach and political maneuvering.

Whether driven by development concerns or political, the meeting has exposed underlying tensions that extend beyond the official narrative. And in Somalia’s fluid political landscape, such moments rarely remain symbolic for long.

WardheerNews