Puntland’s President Deni, Accuses Hassan Sheikh Over Piracy and Federalism

GAROWE – Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has launched one of his sharpest attacks on the term‑expired Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing him of creating armed pirate groups, dismantling the country’s federal system, and destabilising regional administrations across Somalia.

Addressing the opening of Puntland’s parliamentary session in Garowe, Deni said the federal government had abandoned the power‑sharing model that supports Somalia’s federal structure and was instead pursuing policies designed to centralise authority in Mogadishu. He accused Hassan Sheikh of carrying out what he described as a “political and legal hijacking” of the country’s agreed constitutional framework, insisting that Puntland would neither recognise nor accept steps it considered a breach of the federal pact.

“Puntland has opposed the political and legal abduction carried out against the agreed system of governance, and we will continue to resist it,” Deni told lawmakers.

‘He Openly Created Pirates’

In his most serious claim, the Puntland leader said the Somali president had “openly created piracy,” alleging that he was behind armed groups that attacked maritime traffic in international waters and along Somalia’s coastline. “He has launched a direct assault on the federal system and the administrations operating in the country,” Deni said. “He openly created pirates. Earlier, he carried out an armed attack in Ras Kamboni in which Somali citizens were killed.”

Deni also accused the federal leadership of provoking political unrest in the southwestern city of Baidoa, claiming it had engineered a “political coup” that dismantled the established governance structure in South West State.

Earlier in April, Deni had accused Mogadishu of attempting to seize direct control over the region’s natural resources and warned that policies backed by allies of President Mohamud threatened to fracture Somalia regionally. In March, Puntland authorities alleged that the federal government had purposefully failed to support the region’s military campaign against ISIS militants in the Al‑Miskad mountains and had even blocked injured fighters from receiving medical treatment in Mogadishu.

Deepening Constitutional Crisis

The comments point to a further decline in relations between Puntland and the federal government, which have been strained by disagreements over constitutional amendments, elections, and the distribution of power between Mogadishu and regional states.

Deni has previously declared that the president’s term expired on May 15 under the 2012 Provisional Constitution and has repeatedly described Mohamud as “the person breaking the country apart.” The federal government has rejected these claims, insisting that the president remains in office until May 2027 under constitutional amendments passed by parliament in March 2026.

Puntland has stated that the federal institutions have lost their constitutional legitimacy and does not recognise Hassan Sheikh as a legitimate president. The opposition Somali Future Council, of which Deni is a key member, has warned that if no political consensus on elections is reached, it will move to establish a parallel government – a step that could further fracture Somalia’s fragile federal system.

Growing Political Isolation

Deni’s latest remarks follow the collapse of US‑mediated talks at Mogadishu’s Halane compound in mid‑May, where disputes over Somalia’s political structure and electoral framework persisted. The negotiations ended without a breakthrough, and Deni subsequently left Mogadishu, declaring that all previous agreements between Puntland and the federal government had effectively collapsed.

Tensions escalated further when a Puntland‑affiliated delegation attended the 35th anniversary celebrations of Somaliland’s self‑declared independence in Hargeisa, a move Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali (Xoosh) condemned as supporting the secessionist cause and exploiting national divisions for political gain.

The federal government had not immediately responded to Deni’s latest accusations. The dispute underscores the widening political divide within Somalia as the country confronts major security challenges, including the continuing campaign against Islamist militants and efforts to rebuild state institutions after decades of conflict.