Somalia’s Federal Parliament leadership has reportedly barred a group of Members of the House of the People from travelling to Garowe, the capital of Puntland State, in a move that has sparked controversy and raised questions over parliamentary procedures and political tensions.

The lawmakers, whose constituencies are in Puntland, were scheduled to attend a consultative meeting convened by Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni to discuss the country’s prevailing political and constitutional situation. Several of the MPs told local media that they were unexpectedly prevented from proceeding with their journey.

According to the affected members, they formally sought clarification after being stopped and were subsequently informed that they had not obtained prior authorization from the Office of the Speaker to travel outside Mogadishu. Parliamentary rules are understood to require members to seek official clearance for certain official engagements.

In video statements shared publicly, the MPs described the incident as unprecedented and expressed concern that their safety had been compromised after they were reportedly denied permission to land at Garowe Airport. They called on parliamentary leadership to provide a transparent explanation for the decision.

On Saturday morning, the lawmakers made a second attempt to travel to Garowe but were again unable to depart. They later left Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu after the effort failed.

As of publication, the leadership of the House of the People has not issued an official statement addressing the matter. The development comes amid heightened political dialogue between federal institutions and Puntland authorities over national governance and electoral processes.