By Zamzam Daqarre - Reporter
MOGADISHU, 17 October 2026 Puntland Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor has warned that the regional administration will decide its own future if efforts to preserve Somalia's statehood fail.
Lugatoor accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of undermining national unity and the political agreements underpinning the country's federal system.
He said Puntland had played a significant role in rebuilding Somalia's state institutions, particularly through reconciliation efforts and political agreements that helped establish the federal system.
He referred to reconciliation conferences in Djibouti and Mbagathi, as well as the Garowe I, Garowe II and Galkayo agreements, arguing that these arrangements formed the foundation for Somalia's government institutions and power-sharing system.
The vice president accused the federal government of departing from earlier political agreements that shaped Somalia's state-building process and weakening cooperation between the central government and federal member states.
On security, Lugatoor criticised the federal government's ability to maintain stability, claiming that its authority remained limited to parts of Mogadishu while Al-Shabaab continued to control areas near the capital.
He held President Hassan Sheikh responsible for the country's political disputes but said politicians and community leaders in Mogadishu shared responsibility for safeguarding Somalia's statehood.
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He urged political figures and residents of the capital to contribute to efforts to resolve the dispute, warning that continued political deadlock could deepen divisions and threaten national unity.
Separately, the vice president said Puntland had its own constitution, laws and administrative institutions, which he argued would enable it to maintain self-governance if efforts to reach a national political agreement failed.
Puntland has long maintained that amendments to Somalia's federal constitution should be based on consultation and agreement involving federal member states. The federal government, meanwhile, argues that Somalia's parliament has the legislative authority to approve constitutional amendments.
Lugatoor also called on the international community to help resolve Somalia's political disagreements, referring to its longstanding support for rebuilding state institutions and strengthening security operations.
He said his administration remained committed to efforts to preserve Somalia's unity but would consider its future if the country's political disputes could not be resolved.