FGS condemns Puntland’s formation of separate ID authority

Somalia’s federal government on Monday criticised Puntland’s decision to establish a separate regional identity agency, calling it a breach of the country’s constitutional framework and a threat to national cohesion.

The Ministry of Interior issued a statement condemning Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni’s move to form the Puntland Identity Authority (PID), which was announced on 9 April. The federal ministry described the creation of the regional agency as both a “legal and administrative error.”

“The initiative by the Puntland regional leadership to establish an identification system that undermines the Federal Government’s National Identification programme is a direct violation of Somalia’s state-building process,” the statement said.

Puntland’s action follows its recent rejection of the federal government’s national ID cards, which are issued by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA). The launch of the national ID system was formally announced by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre earlier this month. The Prime Minister said all public and private services would now require a national ID, adding that this step was vital for Somalia’s development after more than three decades without a formal identification system.

Puntland responded swiftly by forming its own agency and distancing itself from the federal initiative.

Puntland’s Minister of the Presidency, Abdifitah Abdinur, dismissed Mogadishu’s objections insisting that identification responsibilities fall under federal member states.

“The Federal Government is only authorised to issue passports. We do not oppose that. But other IDs are the responsibility of the states. What Villa Somalia is doing is turning the ID project into a business venture at the expense of the public,” he said.

The disagreement is the latest in a series of disputes between Puntland and the federal government. Puntland cut ties with Mogadishu last year after the federal government pushed through amendments to the provisional constitution without consensus. Puntland argued the move sidelined the federal member states and undermined the spirit of cooperative governance.

The ongoing ID dispute underscores the deeper political rift that continues to challenge Somalia’s federal structure.