Puntland moves to strip MP’s immunity in treason accusation

[Deeq A.]

GAROWE, Somalia – The government of Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland has formally requested its parliament to strip a sitting lawmaker of his immunity, accusing him of treasonous acts for participating in a conference to establish a rival administration in a hotly disputed territory.

The move escalates an already tense political standoff in northern Somalia over the fate of the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn (SSC) regions.

In a letter dated July 7, 2025, and addressed to the House of Representatives, Puntland’s Attorney General, Ahmed Mohamed Yusuf, called for the removal of legal protection for Member of Parliament Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril Awl. The request surfaced publicly just as Awl appeared at the landmark summit in Las Anod aimed at finalizing the creation of the SSC-Khaatumo federal state.

“The Office of the Attorney General… hereby submits to you a request concerning the lifting of immunity for MP Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril, who is involved in clear criminal acts through which he is undermining the general security of Puntland,” the official letter stated.

The prosecutor’s office accuses the lawmaker of engaging in “military mobilization” and directly cites his recent speeches and photos shared on social media, in which he allegedly appears in military attire.

A Politically charged accusation

The document specifies that Awl’s actions violate several articles of the Somali Penal Code, including Articles 221, 223, and 233. These articles broadly relate to crimes against the personality of the state, armed insurrection, and inciting civil war—some of the most serious charges in the nation’s legal framework.

“We request for a second time that the immunity be stripped from MP Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril,” the letter concludes, urging parliament to clear the way for security forces to arrest him and for the attorney general’s office to proceed with a formal prosecution.

The timing of the letter’s release, coinciding with Awl’s prominent attendance at the Las Anod conference on Sunday, suggests a direct response by the administration of Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni to the establishment of the neighboring SSC-Khaatumo administration.

The legal maneuver highlights the intractable dispute over the SSC regions. Puntland, a long-established Federal Member State, claims the territory based on deep clan affiliations with the local Sool clan community, which is also dominant in Puntland. MP Awl, representing this shared constituency, is seen from Garowe as having betrayed his mandate.

The SSC-Khaatumo administration emerged following a bloody, months-long conflict in 2023 that saw local Sool clan forces expel troops from Somaliland, which had controlled the regional capital Las Anod for 15 years. Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991, bases its claim to the area on colonial-era boundaries.

Leaders of the nascent SSC-Khaatumo administration have rejected the authority of both Puntland and Somaliland, seeking instead to become a new, 10th Federal Member State with a direct relationship with the central government in Mogadishu—a goal strongly endorsed by federal officials.

The request to strip Awl of his immunity is a significant political gamble. If the Puntland parliament approves it, it will signal an official and confrontational stance against any politicians from the region aligning with the SSC-Khaatumo movement. This could further alienate segments of the clans who feel their political future lies with the new administration in Las Anod rather than with Puntland.

The decision now rests with the Puntland House of Representatives, which must weigh the legal accusations against the potentially severe political fallout. Their ruling will be a critical indicator of the future relationship between Puntland and the new entity crystallizing on its border, with significant implications for the stability of northern Somalia.