Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, held a meeting late last night with a group of Puntland politicians currently in Mogadishu who had previously relocated from Puntland and are known critics of Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, the meeting focused on the country’s political landscape and the direction of the upcoming elections. President Hassan Sheikh reportedly urged the politicians to intensify efforts in organizing conferences and gatherings in support of the proposed “one person, one vote” electoral model. He also encouraged them to expand grassroots political mobilization across neighborhoods in Mogadishu.
Observers note that a similar episode unfolded in 2021, as the term of former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, widely known as Farmaajo, was nearing its end. At the time, Farmaajo met with several Puntland-origin officials and political figures based in Mogadishu, including then-Police Commissioner Gen. Cabdi Xasan Maxamed (Xijaar), Gen. Siciid Dheere, Sheikh Cabdi Xirsi, and former minister Jamaal Maxamed Xasan.
Political analysts say such meetings often signal the intensification of electoral competition in the capital. With presidential elections approaching, Mogadishu once again appears to be the epicenter of Somalia’s evolving political contest.
