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Ex-Puntland Minister urges leaders to convene talks on region’s political future

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Ex-Puntland Minister urges leaders to convene talks on region’s political future

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Thursday September 18, 2025

Garowe (HOL) – Former Puntland Finance Minister Hassan Shire
Abgaal, who returned to Garowe on Thursday after losing the 2024 Puntland
presidential election, criticized President Said Abdullahi Deni and called for
Puntland leaders to convene a conference to decide the region’s political

Hassan Shire, known for his close ties to the Federal
Government of Somalia, accused President Deni of obstructing development
projects in Puntland by blocking cooperation with Mogadishu.

He said Puntland’s government institutions and security
forces have not been paid for more than six months, leaving soldiers to block
roads and stop taxpaying vehicles in protest.

“You know the state administration and government
institutions are in disarray. There is not a single functioning government
office in Puntland, and salaries of workers and soldiers have been delayed for
over six months. Soldiers have set up checkpoints on the roads to demand their
rights,” Hassan Shire told reporters.

The former minister also blamed Deni’s administration for
isolating Puntland economically through “bad politics and bad governance,”
adding that the president will be held accountable for the hardships facing
ordinary citizens.

Hassan Shire urged Puntland leaders to “build a new
Puntland” through dialogue and consensus, suggesting a broad conference to
address the region’s governance crisis.

In recent days, reports have circulated that opposition
groups and leaders from Jubbaland and Puntland may hold a joint meeting in
either Kismayo or Garowe, though neither administration has confirmed hosting
such talks.

Jubbaland and the federal government remain at odds over
political disputes, while opposition groups and Puntland authorities continue
to reject the ongoing voter registration drive, accusing the federal government
of acting unilaterally.

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