Puntland State’s recent security operations in Gaalkacyo and Bosaso appear to have ended a period in which armed formations operating in the region were outside the direct command of Puntland State’s official security forces.
AXADLE, Puntland State — Operations conducted in recent days in Gaalkacyo and Bosaso appear to have brought to a close a period during which armed units inside Puntland State were not directly answerable to the region’s security command.
The dispute predates this week’s operations. In July, the Puntland State Government accused Somalia’s Federal Government of establishing and backing armed groups in Puntland State, alleging that the effort was intended to undermine the region’s security and administrative authority.
As has frequently happened, Somalia’s term-expired Federal Government has not issued a public response to the latest developments in Gaalkacyo and Bosaso.
Sources said the alleged plan extended beyond the incidents in the two cities. According to the sources, Villa Somalia sought to provoke armed clashes and wider insecurity in several parts of Puntland State, including the capital, Garowe. In recent months, forces formerly affiliated with the Puntland State Defence Forces had joined a military recruitment program backed by Villa Somalia.
Garowe, however, did not descend into armed conflict. The Puntland State Government, working with members of the local community, helped negotiate a resolution to the tensions. Dialogue ultimately prevented a confrontation in the capital and allowed the dispute to be contained.
Viewed together, the developments in Gaalkacyo, Bosaso and Garowe suggest that Puntland State blocked what it described as a Villa Somalia effort to create or support armed forces within the region that would operate outside Puntland State’s security institutions, potentially fuelling instability and conflict.
The dispute entered the public domain during July 1 commemorations, when senior Federal Government officials openly spoke about recruiting federal troops in Puntland State.
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said the Federal Government intended to recruit 30,000 soldiers from Puntland State, directing the message at Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni.
“We will recruit 30,000 soldiers from Puntland State. I represent them,” Hamza said, according to media reports. “Whether you like it or become angry enough to explode, that is the reality.”
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud subsequently defended the recruitment of federal forces in Puntland State, saying the troops belonged to the Somali National Army and did not threaten the region.
The statements came as President Deni declared that Puntland State would reject interference in its security affairs. He said the region maintained its own security forces and institutions responsible for protecting its territory.
Gaalkacyo: Puntland State Ends Military Camps Through Force
On August 5, Puntland State forces attacked and captured a military camp in northern Gaalkacyo occupied by personnel formerly known as the PSF, who in recent months had established close ties with Somalia’s Federal Government.
The clashes involved heavy weapons and resulted in deaths and injuries.
In a statement, the Puntland State government said 101 people had been detained during the operation, while 60 wounded individuals were also taken into custody. Weapons, ammunition, vehicles and other military equipment were seized.
Puntland State said the seized items also included police equipment and some supplies donated by the Chinese government to the Somali Police Force.
Bosaso: Former PSF Compound Falls Under Government Control
Within 24 hours of the Gaalkacyo operation, attention turned to Bosaso.
On August 6, the Puntland State Defence Forces seized control of a compound occupied by personnel formerly known as the PSF who had more recently been linked to Somalia’s Federal Government.
The takeover had implications extending beyond control of the building itself.
Bosaso is Puntland State’s largest commercial centre, while its port holds considerable economic and strategic value. For years, the presence of an armed compound operating under a contested chain of command had complicated government authority and the city’s broader security arrangements.
By securing the disputed compounds in Gaalkacyo and Bosaso, Puntland State sharply curtailed the ability of armed groups outside its command structure to operate from two of the region’s most strategically important cities.
AXADLETM
