The divided city of Galkayo has been split in two following the simultaneous arrival of Somalia's federal president and Puntland's leader, resulting in the closure of the crossing connecting the city's northern and southern halves. Puntland security forces took up positions and shut down movement between the two administrations on Monday, isolating traders, patients, and families who rely on daily travel across the dividing line. The shutdown occurred as the federal president arrived overland to host a public rally in the Galmudug-administered south, while Puntland President Deni conducted parallel meetings with community and political figures just hundreds of metres away in the north. The parallel visits reflect the growing political dispute between Mogadishu and Garowe. Tensions had built over the previous week, with Puntland officials accusing the Galmudug administration in Dhusamareb of allowing federal troops and weapons to be offloaded at its airports. Garowe contends that the federal presidency, whose constitutional mandate expired in May, is using a counterinsurgency campaign as cover to move forces and weapons into Mudug to destabilise Puntland. Following the announcement of the federal tour, Puntland placed its defence forces on high alert on Thursday and moved to secure its half of the city. Villa Somalia has described the tour as a peace and development visit to examine living conditions, security, and local services across Galmudug. The federal president, travelling alongside Galmudug leader Ahmed Abdi Karie "Qoor Qoor", reached southern Galkayo after being welcomed by crowds in Bandiiradley the day before. Prior to the trip, the federal government held a graduation ceremony for 3,000 soldiers at a camp in neighbouring Galgadud, a force mobilisation it links to operations against al-Shabaab in the central regions. Puntland views these deployments with concern, pointing to federally paid forces in Nugaal and Bari that switched sides in July and August, leaving military camps in Galkayo, Bosaso, and Carmo under Puntland control. A recent speech by the federal president to a Galmudug audience, stating that he established the federal member states from Galkayo to Kismayo, further angered Garowe, which viewed the remark as an assertion of authority over administrations that predated his presidency. The standoff places Galmudug's leadership in an awkward position. During a Friday anniversary ceremony in Dhusamareb attended by the federal president, Qoor Qoor made a public appeal to keep Galkayo insulated from political disputes. He commended Puntland's leadership and people for their cooperation in managing the shared city, urging both sides to protect the peace. By Monday, however, the political contest had reached the city's streets alongside the federal delegation he accompanied. Behind the security friction lies political organising around Galmudug's upcoming elections. Federal leaders have been actively involved in campaigning for the JSP, the party that swept Galmudug elections in early August. Puntland officials and Galmudug's own information ministry had previously warned against any federally managed election being imposed on the state, making the combination of troop movements and political activities contentious. The current closure strains the long-standing local arrangement governing Galkayo. The system allowing the city to function under dual administration was not designed in Mogadishu or codified in the constitution; it was established locally by elders, business leaders, and commanders after the 1993 fighting on the principle of declining to force the question of overall control. A presidential rally held in one half during open confrontation with the other administration places that delicate structure under direct pressure. The closure of the Galkayo crossing halts commercial traffic on the main north-south highway, severing the trade route that supplies markets in Galmudug and central Somalia with goods arriving through Bosaso. For local Somali residents who cross the city daily to reach businesses and hospitals, the political standoff over military movements directly disrupts daily life, cutting off basic services and separating families living only hundreds of metres apart.