Somalia: Deni Travels to Galkayo as Puntland State Consolidates Security Authority
GALKAYO, Somalia — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni arrived in Galkayo on Saturday for talks with community leaders, security officials and municipal authorities, as efforts to restore law and order were expected to dominate his agenda.
Deni made the overnight journey from Puntland State’s capital, Garowe, to Galkayo, highlighting his administration’s ability to move senior officials between cities after dark despite continuing security problems in other parts of Somalia.
Officials familiar with the visit said Deni was also expected to assess the administrative system in the Mudug region and review ongoing development projects during his stay.
His visit followed clashes two days earlier in Galkayo between Puntland State security forces and armed units aligned with Somalia’s federal government, deepening tensions between Puntland State and the Mogadishu-based term-ended Federal Government.
The confrontation focused on control of security installations in the city. Puntland State forces later seized a military facility that had been held by forces aligned with the federal government, expanding the regional administration’s presence in Galkayo, a central town bordering Galmudug regional state.
The events in Galkayo came after a separate confrontation in Bosaso, Puntland State’s main commercial port. Puntland State forces recently took control of the former Puntland State Security Force headquarters from FGS-backed militia organized to destabilize the Gulf of Aden city.
The Bosaso operation represented a major escalation in the prolonged dispute over the command and control of Puntland State’s security forces. The former PSF had been at the heart of a political and security standoff involving President Deni and forces regarded as sympathetic to the federal government.
Puntland State authorities have portrayed the recent operations as a direct message to the FGS – Federal Government of Somalia, as well as part of a broader effort to place armed units and security facilities under regional government authority while reinforcing public safety and order.
The clashes have unfolded against wider political tensions between Puntland State and the federal government, which remain divided over constitutional amendments, elections, and the allocation of political and security powers.
Deni’s presence in Galkayo is consequently being closely monitored as he assesses the security environment, meets local communities and officials, and seeks to strengthen Puntland State’s control of its security institutions after the latest confrontations.
AXADLETM
