Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sunday received Colonel Said Abdirisaq, commander of Puntland’s Security Force, at the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu, in a meeting that comes amid growing political tensions between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Puntland administration.

The meeting takes place as relations between Villa Somalia and Puntland have become increasingly strained in recent days, particularly over security and military matters.

According to reports, the Federal Government has recently been recruiting forces from areas under Puntland’s administration, a move that Puntland officials have strongly criticised on several occasions, raising concerns over the process and its wider political implications.

The tensions have been further fuelled by sharp public exchanges between senior officials from the Federal Government and Puntland, with both sides trading critical remarks through the media.

President Hassan Sheikh’s reception of the PSF commander comes at a sensitive moment, as political observers closely watch the evolving relationship between the Federal Government and Puntland, especially on issues related to security coordination, force mobilisation, and federal-state cooperation.