Puntland Moves to End Parallel Armed Commands After Operations in Gaalkacyo and Bosaso

GAROWE, Puntland — Security operations carried out in recent days in Gaalkacyo and Bosaso appear to have brought to an end a period in which armed units operating inside Puntland were not directly under the command of the Puntland security forces.

The issue did not begin this week. In July, the Puntland Government accused Somalia’s Federal Government of organizing and supporting armed groups inside Puntland, saying the objective was to weaken the region’s security and administrative authority.

Somalia’s term-expired Federal Government, as has often been the case, has not commented on the latest developments in Gaalkacyo and Bosaso.

Sources say the alleged plan was not limited to the incidents in Gaalkacyo and Bosaso. They said Villa Somalia intended to trigger armed confrontations and security instability across different regions of Puntland, particularly in the capital, Garowe, where forces that had previously been part of the Puntland Defence Forces had, in recent months, joined a Villa Somalia-backed military recruitment program.

However, the situation in Garowe did not escalate into fighting. The Puntland Government and members of the local community played a major role in negotiations that contained the tensions, allowing the matter to be managed through dialogue and preventing an armed confrontation in the capital.

Taken together, the developments in Gaalkacyo, Bosaso and Garowe indicate that Puntland succeeded in closing the door on what it described as a Villa Somalia plan to establish or support armed forces inside Puntland that were not under the command of Puntland’s security institutions and that could have caused instability and armed conflict.

The tensions became public during the July 1 commemorations, when senior Federal Government leaders openly discussed plans to recruit federal troops in Puntland.

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said the Federal Government planned to recruit 30,000 soldiers from Puntland, directing his remarks at Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni.

“We will recruit 30,000 soldiers from Puntland. 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 later defended the recruitment of federal forces in Puntland, saying the soldiers were part of the Somali National Army and did not pose a threat to Puntland.

The remarks came as President Deni said Puntland would not accept interference in its security affairs, arguing that the region has its own security forces and institutions responsible for protecting its territory.

Gaalkacyo: Puntland Ends Military Camps Through Force

On August 5, Puntland forces attacked and seized a military camp in northern Gaalkacyo that had been occupied by personnel formerly known as the PSF, but who had in recent months developed close relations with the Federal Government of Somalia.

Heavy weapons were used during the fighting, which caused casualties and injuries.

According to a Puntland government statement, 101 people were detained during the operation, while 60 wounded individuals were also taken into custody. The forces seized weapons, ammunition, vehicles and other military equipment.

Puntland also said the captured material included police equipment and some items donated by the Chinese government to the Somali Police Force.

Bosaso: Former PSF Compound Falls Under Government Control

Less than 24 hours after the Gaalkacyo operation, the focus shifted to Bosaso.

On August 6, the Puntland Defence Forces took control of a compound occupied by personnel formerly known as the PSF, but who had more recently been associated with the Federal Government of Somalia.

The development carried political and security significance beyond the seizure of a single building.

Bosaso is Puntland’s largest commercial centre, and its port is of major economic and strategic importance. The presence of an armed compound operating under a disputed chain of command had long affected government authority and the wider security structure in the city.

By taking control of the contested compounds in both Gaalkacyo and Bosaso, Puntland significantly reduced the ability of armed groups outside its command structure to operate from some of the region’s most strategically important cities.

GAROWE ONLINE