President Mohamud Hails Las Anod as ‘Capital of Somalia’s Unity’ as PM Hamza Rebukes Puntland, Jubbaland

GOOBJOOG NEWS| LAS ANOD: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday declared Las Anod the “Capital of Somalia’s Unity,” casting a major political gathering in the city as a turning point away from historical divisions.

Speaking during the inauguration of the new leadership of the North East State of Somalia in Las Anod, President Mohamud said the ceremony marked “a new chapter” for the Somali people and a symbolic break from the fragmentation that followed colonial-era partition.

He said debate about Somalia’s regions being separated by different colonial legacies had effectively ended, arguing that the country had closed the door on narratives that could revive division. Somalia, he said, is “one country, one people and one future,” and should reject any effort that reopens historical separation.

President Mohamud praised the leaders and residents of the North East State, saying they had taken a clear stand against fragmentation and in favour of unity, solidarity and statehood. He described their role as a model for confronting ideas that threaten national cohesion.

During the address, the president formally announced Las Anod as the “Capital of Somalia’s Unity,” saying his visit and the inauguration carried a message to Somalis and the international community that the country was moving beyond division toward a shared future built on cooperation.

In the same event, Prime Minister Hamza sharply criticised Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni for not attending the inauguration, saying the absence undermined national unity and political cooperation. Barre described Deni’s decision to skip the gathering as a political failing for Puntland’s leadership, adding that it was unacceptable for a federal member state leader to miss an event he framed as nationally significant.

The prime minister also repeated the Federal Government’s stance on Jubbaland leader Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Ahmed Madobe), saying Mogadishu does not recognise him as president — a position that underlines the long-running dispute between the federal authorities and Jubbaland over leadership legitimacy and electoral arrangements.

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, and to project the area as a symbol of Somalia’s national cohesion.