Monday July 6, 2026
Garowe (AX) — A group of Nugaal region politicians and business figures has moved to defuse a tense standoff in Garowe, where days of troop movements by Puntland State forces and units aligned with the federal government on the city’s outskirts had heightened fears of confrontation, sources said.
The mediators held talks with Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni, pressing him to refrain from ordering military action against the forces positioned near Garowe, according to people briefed on the efforts.
They also urged Deni to keep negotiations at the center of the response and to avoid steps that could push the dispute toward armed conflict.
The committee has also reached out to Gen. Jimcaale Jamaac Takar, who is currently in Las Anod and has reportedly been named commander of the Somali National Army’s 54th Division.
Sources said the mediators asked Jimcaale to put off a planned visit to Garowe, warning that his arrival could provoke a military response from Puntland State forces if he entered the city.
The committee said it delivered a message from Deni stating that Jimcaale should not come to Garowe for the time being.
The mediation effort comes after the Puntland State Council of Ministers recently imposed a ban on the movement of federal government officials and troops in territory under Puntland State’s control.
Members of the committee told AX that Jimcaale agreed to postpone his Garowe trip while political efforts continue to find a way out of the standoff.
They said Jimcaale told them the forces under his command were not engaged in activities threatening Puntland State’s security or stability and had no intention of conducting military operations inside Puntland State.
The mediators are expected to meet Deni again in the coming days to submit recommendations aimed at resolving the situation.
The latest military movements in and around Garowe have unsettled residents and fueled concern over a possible clash between Puntland State forces and troops aligned with the federal government.
