Jubaland Ministry of Justice and Constitutional & Religious Affairs as announced on Friday that it will not be attending the National Constitutional Convention this week.

Aden Ibrahim Aw Hirsi, Jubaland’s Minister of Justice, Constitution & Religious Affairs, confirmed that Jubaland has declined to attend the conference and have communicated their decision to the federal government.

Aw Hirsi tweeted his frustrations shortly after announcing the decision saying legitimate stakeholders and authorities can’t be dressed up as a superficial display.

“The serious, substantial, thorough negotiations by all stakeholders & pertinent authorities required for Somalia’s Constitutional Review Process can’t be replaced by cheering crowds, jaded soundbites, centrist dogwhistles & choreographed appearances by photogenic leaders.”

Hiiraan Online contacted Aw Hirsi to elaborate but he declined to comment further.

The decision to not attend comes at a time of growing political friction between the Federal Government of Somalia and Puntland – another powerful regional member state -.

Jubbaland President, Ahmed Mohammed Islam, who recently returned to Kismayo, held a press conference, accusing the government of not respecting the regional governments and called on the Federal Government to protect the constitutional rights of the regional states.

Last October, two pivotal bodies that are responsible for the review and implementation of Somalia’s constitution boycotted a planned conference scheduled in Mogadishu, citing an overreaching Ministry of Constitutional Affairs of derailing the talks. The Somali government was forced to cancel the entire conference due to “technical reasons”, without citing any specific details.

Prime Minister Kheyre held an mergency meeting with the Oversight Committee shortly after in response to the boycott. OC Chairman Abdi Qeybdid emerged from the meeting saying that that the two parties have reached a tentative agreement but did not elaborate