MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Puntland authorities have suspended a regional government official after he publicly praised Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in a move that highlights deepening tensions between the semi-autonomous state and the federal government in Mogadishu.
The Puntland Ministry of Livestock said it had suspended Rage Ahmed Eiro, an official in the ministry, after he attended celebrations marking the anniversary of the Somali Police Force on Sunday and recited a poem praising the president.
In a statement, the office of the Puntland Minister of Livestock, Omar Abdisamad Yusuf, said Mr Eiro had been suspended from his duties and that his salary had also been halted.
The ministry said the action was taken because Puntland has formally suspended cooperation with Somalia’s federal government, and that Mr Eiro’s remarks were deemed a violation of that decision.
Relations between Puntland and the federal government have been strained for nearly two years, largely over disagreements surrounding the electoral process and constitutional changes. The dispute has also drawn in opposition presidential candidates grouped under the Somali Salvation Forum, as well as the southern state of Jubaland.
Puntland has accused the federal government of undermining the country’s federal system, while Mogadishu has rejected the accusations, insisting that constitutional reforms are necessary to strengthen national governance.
Meanwhile, reports from Mogadishu suggest that Mr Eiro has been invited to the office of Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre. According to those reports, the meeting could result in a job offer or other benefits, a move widely seen as a response to Puntland’s disciplinary action.
Neither the prime minister’s office nor the federal government has publicly commented on the reports.
The incident underscores the increasingly confrontational nature of relations between Puntland and the federal authorities, with individual officials now finding themselves caught in the middle of a widening political rift.
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