KISMAYO, Somalia – Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni warned on Thursday that Somalia faces the risk of disintegration if its political leaders fail to engage in constructive communication, as heightened tensions persist over governance and electoral procedures.
Addressing attendees at a gathering in the southern port city of Kismayo, Deni stated that division would become unavoidable if dialogue, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence were to deteriorate.
“When we stop listening to each other, cease respecting one another, and find impossible to live together, history has shown us the outcome,” Deni remarked. “We are familiar with the consequences it leads to fragmentation.”
The Puntland head of state emphasized that he and fellow participants had not convened in Kismayo to exchange blame with the administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, but rather to pursue meaningful consultation and remedies for Somalia’s political impasse.
The Puntland leader implored President Hassan Sheikh to embrace dialogue and rejoin negotiations, asserting that only an inclusive consensus could facilitate legitimate elections throughout the nation.
“Somalis must coexist peacefully,” Deni stated. “The Creator placed us in one land so that we might coexist like other peoples, maintain neighborly relations, and participate in the global community.”
He further noted that Somalia’s conflicts were resolvable with sufficient political determination, issuing a direct appeal to the president to renew talks.
“My most earnest appeal is to President Hassan Sheikh to accept consultation and resume dialogue,” Deni declared. “The nation should be directed toward elections accepted by all. Nothing else is required beyond that.”
The Kismayo conference has united opposition figures, past leaders, and representatives from federal member states sharing their shared concerns on the upcoming elections.
