On Thursday night, the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and the President of Puntland, Said Abdullahi Deni, held a meeting that lasted for many hours. The meeting was closed to the public and the other delegates were excluded
Sources close to both sides say that the meeting was an icebreaker for the meeting that the two sides will hold in the coming hours, and the two elders were discussing what happened after the presidential election and the formation of the federal government.
The meeting is scheduled to continue this afternoon with the participation of advisors from both sides.
Puntland has a prepared agenda for discussions with Hassan Sheikh, while President Hassan Sheikh wants Puntland to play a role in resolving the action taken by Ahmed Madobe in Jubaland to extend the deadline, which appeared to be a preemptive strike against Ahmed Madobe.
The cold reception
The welcome of the President of the Republic, Hassan Sheikh, yesterday in Garowe was cold and frosty, despite the fact that Hassan Sheikh did not bring his ministers who were important to the meeting between the two sides, he was not given the opportunity to speak to the press and share his feelings with the public.
It is believed that the estrangement between Hassan Sheikh and Deni began in June 2022, after Said Abdullahi Deni sought the post of Prime Minister, which he has not yet admitted, but was evident from his actions after the inauguration of the President, and the ambivalence intensified after the formation of the government.