MOGADISHU: Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has launched a blistering attack on “former Somali president” Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing him of leading the nation “astray” and threatening Somalia’s federal system and national unity. Speaking in the capital on Friday, May 15, Deni said he had been waiting since the expiration of the president’s term under the 2012 Provisional Constitution and warned that Somalia’s political crisis had reached a critical point requiring immediate action to prevent institutional collapse and political power consolidation.
“I thank God I am in Mogadishu today. The person breaking the country apart is Hassan Sheikh Mohamud,” Deni declared. He claimed that all previous agreements between Puntland and the federal government had effectively collapsed following the US‑mediated talks at the Halane compound, which ended without consensus after three days of negotiations. Deni accused the president of attempting to centralize authority and undermine Somalia’s federal system, which is founded on power‑sharing among federal member states. “I have observed the direction he has taken since his election. He wants to disregard the constitution and state authority,” he said.
The Puntland leader revealed that he had previously held a four‑hour private meeting with Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, during which he warned him against the current political path. “I told him directly: the country cannot continue on this course. Somalia needs unity, not division,” Deni said. He added that Puntland had maintained restraint to preserve national cohesion but warned that it would no longer tolerate what he described as constitutional violations and abuse of power. “Puntland has been safeguarding the unity of the country and the constitution, but today I declare in Mogadishu that Hassan Sheikh is the person breaking the country apart,” he said.
Deni further warned that Puntland would take “all necessary measures” to protect its position, stating: “We will use all our resources, even if it requires bulldozers and shovels.” The remarks came as the Somali Future Council, of which Deni is a key member, announced that the talks had failed and that President Mohamud’s term had expired. Opposition leaders had long declared that the president would lose his legal authority after May 15 unless elections were held or a constitutional alternative agreed upon.
On Saturday, May 16, President Deni departed Mogadishu following the failed negotiations. The talks, which took place between May 13 and 15, included federal and opposition representatives but concluded without a breakthrough as disputes over Somalia’s political structure and electoral framework persisted. Neither the federal government nor opposition groups have issued comprehensive statements regarding the discussions, which received international facilitation from the United States and Britain. Earlier rounds of the Halane talks had also foundered over opposition demands for the release of political detainees and the formation of technical committees, which the opposition dismissed as stalling tactics.
Deni’s departure came as the Somali Future Council issued a press release declaring that it no longer recognizes Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as president and calling on security forces to disregard his orders. The opposition has consistently demanded an independent mediator and a return to an indirect electoral model, rejecting the government’s push for universal suffrage. With the president insisting his term continues through May 2027 under revised constitutional amendments, and the opposition refusing to acknowledge his legitimacy, Somalia has entered a precarious political standoff. Deni’s warning that Puntland would use “all its resources” suggests the crisis may escalate further in the coming days.
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