MOGADISHU, June 27, 2026 – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose term has ended, has ordered the formation and deployment of a new federal military unit in the key port city of Bosaso, sidestepping Puntland State’s command hierarchy as political and security tensions intensify in the northeast, according to official documents.
Presidential decrees dated June 22 name Lieutenant Colonel Abdullahi Osman Abdullahi, known as “Diyano”, as the commander of the newly created 17th Battalion.
The decree makes clear that the Bosaso-based unit will answer directly to the Federal Government of Somalia and will operate entirely outside the Somali National Army’s (SNA) 54th Section, which has traditionally handled regional military oversight.
Lt. Col. Abdullahi is the brother of Asad Diyano, a well-known local security figure and political player. The reorganization comes after strong pushback from the Diyano camp over an earlier command appointment under General Jimale. Local sources say Mogadishu ultimately accepted the faction’s demands by removing the unit from its previous alignment under the 32nd Battalion and placing it under direct federal authority.
The decision has sharply divided local security ranks, compelling influential political and military figures across the Mudug and Bari regions to align either with Gen. Jimale’s 54th Section or with Lt. Col. Abdullahi’s federally controlled 17th Battalion.
The changes have also unsettled the local alliance known among its members as the “Allied Gathering.” Observers say the commanders at the front lines, drawn from both camps and valued for their willingness to engage in combat, remain heavily reliant on outside money and logistics from political figures who continue to operate behind the scenes.
AXADLETM
