Sunday June 15, 2025
Garowe (HOL) — Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni on Sunday endorsed the formation of a new opposition coalition, describing the initiative as critical to rescuing Somalia’s political future and reiterating calls for inclusive national dialogue.
Speaking at the opening of the 56th session of the Puntland Parliament, Deni praised the Salvation and National Rescue Council—also known as the Council for Justice and Democracy—which was recently announced in Mogadishu by a group of federal opposition figures.
Deni urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to step aside from unilateral decision-making and instead engage in a broad-based dialogue on Somalia’s future, including contentious electoral and constitutional matters.
“The Somali people are disillusioned with the current state of governance. We need an electoral framework that everyone agrees on,” Deni said in his address. “The country cannot move forward unless the Somali people are part of shaping their own future.”
The council, led by former MP and Puntland electoral commissioner Guled Salah Barre, has called for broad constitutional reforms and denounced what it described as increasingly authoritarian leadership in both Mogadishu and regional administrations. Despite facing criticism from the council itself, Deni welcomed its broader message of federal reform and dialogue.
In March 2024, Puntland officially suspended cooperation with the federal government, citing concerns over centralized decision-making and a lack of public ratification of the national constitution. The rift has widened in recent months, with Deni rejecting multiple federally backed projects—including a $5 million World Bank-funded bridge—labelling them politically driven and misaligned with Puntland’s priorities.
Deni, who was re-elected in January 2024, is the first Puntland president to secure a second term under the region’s evolving semi-democratic system. He urged all political stakeholders to set aside differences and come together to rescue the nation, stressing that no group or viewpoint should be excluded from discussions aimed at charting a more inclusive path forward.