Hommam Al Nassim 
Somalia announced on Thursday the expulsion of Ethiopia’s ambassador and the closure of a consulate in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland and another in the Somaliland region, in the context of escalating tension between the two countries.
In light of the crisis in Mogadishu with Somaliland, the former is at odds with Puntland, which has begun to move away from the authority of the central government, especially after it signed a memorandum of understanding with Ethiopia.
On Wednesday, the Minister of State at the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, Misgano Arga, received a delegation from the Somali state of Puntland, headed by the Minister of Finance in the state government, Mohamed Farah Mohamed.
In Addis Ababa, the two sides discussed trade and investment cooperation as well as cooperation in the field of energy and joint infrastructure projects to strengthen and expand bilateral relations.
At the end of March, Puntland announced its withdrawal from the federal system in Somalia until the approval of constitutional amendments approved by the central government in a nationwide referendum, noting that it no longer recognizes President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the legitimate president of the country.
“The Puntland administration has withdrawn its recognition and trust in federal government institutions until an explicit and mutually acceptable constitutional process is reached,” the Puntland State Council of Ministers said in a statement after a council meeting chaired by President Saeed Abdullahi Dani in Garowe.
“Puntland will have its own comprehensive government authority until a federal system of government is established with a mutually acceptable Somali constitution subject to a referendum,” the statement added.
The Somali government said the amendments were necessary to establish a stable political system, including a new electoral system for one person and one vote, the introduction of direct presidential elections and allowing the president to appoint a prime minister without parliamentary approval.
On Saturday, Somali People’s Assembly Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe announced the approval of constitutional amendments by the House of Parliament and the Senate.
According to Madobe, the amendments include changing the country’s system of government from parliamentary to presidential, giving the president the power to appoint a prime minister, adopting a system of direct universal suffrage instead of being elected by parliament, and extending the presidential term to 5 years instead of 4 years.
In May, Puntland held its first direct elections since 1969 during local council elections, before returning to clan-based voting in parliamentary elections in January this year.
Somalia accuses Ethiopian forces of invading its territory