Puntland State in Somalia said it would operate as an autonomous government until the federal government drafted a constitution and a referendum was held.

Puntland said in an official statement on Monday that it would negotiate with the federal government on its own terms on the completion of the federal constitution, political agreements on power sharing, security arrangements, and international aid sharing agreements.

According to the statement, Puntland will continue cooperating with other Federal Member States. It added that it will allow its ministers to collaborate with their FMS counterparts on development and humanitarian projects.

Puntland said that the federal government should prioritize liberating the country from Al Shabaab and other insurgency groups as well as settle the long standing political questions in Somaliland and Puntland before finalizing Somalia's federal system.

There should be agreements to settle Mogadishu's political status, the federal system, the constitution, and the harmonization of the federal and Puntland constitutions before holding a national referendum..

Puntland President Said Deni, speaking on Sunday night at a ceremony commemorating his fourth anniversary in office, accused the federal government of carrying out a plan toreturn to a centralizedfederal government.

He said he refused to sign two articles at the most recent National Consultative Council meeting because they were against federalism.

During the meeting in Mogadishu last week, four of the five regional state leaders - excluding Puntland - agreed on a national security framework and delineated powers at the federal and state levels with the federal government.

The federal government's immediate goals for 2023 include achieving political stability, completing the constitution, building national institutions, and especially election and constitutional commissions.