Puntland president says he will not attend national talks unless FGS returns to agreed constitutional framework

Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni said he will not attend the upcoming National Consultative Council (NCC) conference unless it is fundamentally different from previous meetings.

Speaking during a graduation ceremony for Puntland security forces in Bosaso town, Deni reaffirmed Puntland’s openness to dialogue but insisted that the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) must return to the framework previously agreed upon. He said his proposed platform for talks “remains open” in Garowe, the administrative capital of Puntland.

Deni cited his withdrawal from the NCC in December 2022, accusing the FGS of making “unilateral constitutional changes” to key chapters of the Transitional Federal Constitution without consensus.

“We are absent from the National Consultative Council because previous agreements were deviated from, and no one will return until they are revisited. President Hassan should fulfil his pledge of dialogue and return to the agreed terms,” Deni said.

The statement comes days after the Federal Government announced that Deni was expected to participate in the next NCC meeting, scheduled to take place in Mogadishu next month. The conference, convened by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, aims to bring together federal and regional leaders to address political disputes, promote national unity, and strengthen cooperation in the fight against Al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia.

Deni’s continued absence from the NCC poses a significant challenge to efforts by President Mohamud to build national consensus at a time of heightened security threats across the country.