In a pointed critique, Advisor Ahmed Cilal has revealed that Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni had long harbored ambitions to bring the SSC-Khaatumo territories under Puntland’s administrative control.
According to Cilal, this effort was not only carefully planned but also aggressively pursued — yet ultimately ended in failure.
The turning point, Cilal argues, came when the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) recognized SSC-Khaatumo as a federal member state in its own right and extended an invitation to participate in the National Consultative Council (NCC) summit in Mogadishu.
This move, viewed by many as a significant political endorsement, has reportedly intensified President Deni’s frustration.
Cilal suggests that Deni’s anger stems not only from his inability to assert control over SSC-Khaatumo but also from what he sees as a shift in the national political landscape — one in which Puntland’s influence may be waning as new federal entities assert their legitimacy with the support of the central government.
This revelation sheds light on the growing complexities of federalism in Somalia, where territorial claims and shifting alliances continue to test the resilience of the country’s fragile political union.