Puntland State orders defected officers to return weapons, warns of ‘dangerous’ consequences amid Las Anod realignment
GAROWE, Somalia — Puntland State authorities have ordered military officers who defected to Somalia’s federal government and its newly recognized Northeastern Regional State to immediately surrender weapons, vehicles and bases, warning that failure to comply could trigger serious security repercussions.
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The demand, delivered by Puntland State Police Commander Gen. Mumin Abdi Shire, accuses the officers of illegally holding equipment that he said belongs to the regional administration. He framed the materiel as state property that must be handed back without delay.
“No one is above the law,” Gen. Mumin said. “Officers who have involved themselves in political matters must return government assets and military bases. If this does not happen, the consequences could be dangerous for security.”
The officers at the center of the dispute are currently based in Las Anod, where former Puntland State units — including elements of the Danab Brigade and the Puntland State Security Force (PSF) — have aligned with federal forces and are providing security for senior leaders. The shift reflects a rapid realignment of armed actors in and around the city.
Las Anod has become the focal point of competing political claims since North Western State of Somalia forces withdrew last year. The federal government recognizes a new Northeastern Regional State encompassing Sool, Sanaag and Cayn, while Puntland State maintains longstanding authority claims over parts of the same territory.
Earlier this week in Las Anod, Danab Brigade commander Gen. Jimcaale Jamaac Takar said his forces no longer recognize Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni as their commander-in-chief. He said the unit would, for now, place itself under the authority of Northeastern Regional State President Abdulqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye.
The declaration escalated a growing standoff between Garowe and Mogadishu, where relations have deteriorated over federal authority, elections and power-sharing. On Saturday, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre attended Firdhiye’s inauguration in Las Anod alongside senior federal officials, regional leaders, traditional elders and foreign diplomats — a high-profile show of support widely viewed as a direct challenge to Puntland State’s influence.
Puntland State officials argue that the defection of officers — and their retention of weapons, vehicles and bases — undermines command and control and threatens the region’s security architecture. Federal officials, by contrast, have framed the presence of former Puntland State forces in Las Anod as a legitimate effort to stabilize the area under federal authority.
Analysts say unresolved disputes over weapons custody, unit loyalty and chains of command risk fueling further instability, especially in a city shaped by years of conflict and political contestation. With competing authorities asserting control and security forces switching allegiance, local residents face renewed uncertainty over who guarantees their safety.
The immediate impact of Puntland State’s order remains unclear, including whether the defected officers will comply or whether negotiations will follow. But the demand underscores the stakes of Somalia’s fluid political map: the struggle over assets and allegiance in Las Anod has become a proxy battle over the balance of power between regional states and the federal center.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
