By Goth Mohamed Goth
Mogadishu — The authorities in Puntland have issued a formal condemnation against the Somali Federal Government, alleging that security forces launched a pre-dawn raid on lawmakers who represent the regional state in the Federal Parliament.
According to a statement released by the Puntland presidency on Tuesday, the operation targeted legislators who have publicly opposed the ongoing constitutional amendments. The statement specifically claims that members of both the House of the People (Lower House) and the Upper House (Senators) were attacked at the Airport Hotel, located in the Xalane district of Mogadishu.
The Puntland administration described the incident as an act of “torture and abduction” carried out without due process.
“We strongly condemn the attack this morning [3:00 AM] by the Federal Government on the Puntland parliamentarians at the Airport Hotel,” the statement read. The authorities further denounced the alleged detention of Ahmed Abdi Hurre, the Advisor to the Puntland President for Social Affairs.
Puntland emphasized that the lawmakers had committed no crime and were subjected to what it termed an “unprecedented act in governance.” The statement concluded by holding the Federal Government of Somalia “fully responsible for whatever results from this heinous act.”
The incident highlights the escalating political tensions between the Federal Government in Mogadishu and the regional state of Puntland, which has been a vocal critic of recent federal policies and constitutional revisions. As of now, the Somali Federal Government has not issued an official response to the allegations.
