Somalia’s Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali (Xoosh) on Tuesday indirectly rebuked Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni after a Puntland delegation attended Somaliland’s 18 May independence anniversary celebrations in Hargeisa.
The attack exposes a widening political rift between the federal government and the Puntland state, which has sent conflicting signals on the separatist region of Somaliland. This dispute comes as Somalia prepares for critical national elections and constitutional talks, making any perceived support for secession highly inflammatory.
Minister Xoosh stated that no political success can be gained by “exaggerating Somalia’s division” or by suppressing the political will of people in northeastern regions – a clear reference to Puntland.
“No one achieves political success, and no Somali gains political points, by glorifying the dismemberment of Somalia,” Minister Cali Xoosh said in a statement.
The controversy began when a Puntland cultural delegation led by Yaasiin Muuse Boqor attended the Hargeisa event, later declaring respect for Somaliland’s existence and claiming Puntland supports the Somaliland cause.
The federal minister reportedly insisted that national unity is a non-negotiable national issue, not a political tool for electoral gain.
The rebuke signals escalating tension over Somalia’s federal future. Political analysts note that Puntland has increasingly clashed with Mogadishu over the constitution, electoral processes, and now its ambiguous position on Somaliland’s self-declared independence.