MOGADISHU — Somalia’s semi-autonomous Jubaland has rejected ongoing efforts to amend the country’s provisional constitution, warning it will not recognize changes made without broad national consensus.
In a statement issued by the Jubaland presidency, the regional administration said its representatives in the Federal Parliament of Somalia were excluded from the constitutional review process, rendering any outcome illegitimate in the eyes of the state.
The statement followed consultations involving federal lawmakers representing Jubaland, regional officials, and sections of civil society. Authorities in Kismayo said the absence of Jubaland lawmakers from the process undermines the credibility and inclusiveness required for constitutional reform.
Jubaland officials stressed that no unilateral amendments would be accepted or applied within its territories without a nationwide consultative framework, warning that any constitution adopted without consensus would fail to reflect the broader interests of the Somali people.
The regional government also signaled it could pursue “all legal options” if the mandates of federal institutions expire without agreement on an electoral framework, particularly if key decisions continue to be made without input from Jubaland stakeholders.
The Federal Government of Somalia has in recent weeks accelerated efforts to revise five chapters of the provisional constitution, a move strongly opposed by leaders in both Puntland and Jubaland, who describe the process as unilateral and incomplete.
The dispute highlights deepening divisions between Mogadishu and federal member states, raising concerns over political stability as Somalia approaches a sensitive period of electoral preparations and constitutional reform.
