PM Barre Blasts Puntland, Jubbaland Leaders in Las Anod, Questions Jubbaland Presidency

GOOBJOOG NEWS|LAS ANOD: Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Saturday delivered a stinging rebuke of the Puntland and Jubbaland regional administrations, accusing their leaders of undermining national unity by failing to align with the Federal Government’s political direction.

Speaking in Las Anod during the inauguration of the new leadership of the North East State of Somalia, Barre criticised Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni for not attending the ceremony, saying his absence was a missed opportunity to demonstrate national cohesion and political cooperation.Barre described Deni’s non-attendance as “unacceptable” for a federal member state leader, arguing that the occasion carried national significance.

He said his absence was a political liability for Puntland’s leadership, suggesting it would be remembered as a failure to show up for a key national event.In remarks that underscored divisions among Somalia’s regional leaders, the prime minister contrasted Deni’s absence with the participation of Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Kariye, widely known as Qoor Qoor, saying: “Qoor Qoor is seated, but Deni is not seated.”

He added that while he did not recognise “another” leader as president, Deni “should have been seated” at the event — a comment interpreted as a swipe at Jubbaland leader Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Ahmed Madobe).

The PM noted that the Federal Government does not recognise Ahmed Madobe as Jubbaland president, intensifying an already fraught relationship between Mogadishu and Kismayo over leadership legitimacy and electoral processes — a dispute that has featured prominently in recent national political standoffs.

The inauguration in Las Anod comes as the Federal Government seeks to consolidate support for the newly formed North East State administration, headquartered in the city.