Sunday 17 June 2026 {HMC} Puntland authorities have ordered military officers who have defected to the federal government to immediately return weapons and military assets, warning that failure to do so could trigger serious security consequences.
The demand was issued by Puntland Police Commander Gen. Mumin Abdi Shire, who accused the officers of illegally possessing weapons, vehicles and bases belonging to the Puntland regional administration. He said the equipment constitutes state property and must be handed back without delay.
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“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 in question are currently based in Las Anod, the administrative capital of Somalia’s Northeastern Regional State, where former Puntland units including elements of the Danab Brigade and the Puntland Security Force, or PSF have joined federal forces and are providing security for senior leaders.
The dispute comes amid a rapid realignment of armed forces following the establishment of the Northeastern Regional State, which is recognized by the federal government and encompasses Sool, Sanaag and Cayn. Las Anod has become the epicenter of competing political claims and shifting loyalties since Somaliland forces withdrew from the city last year.
Earlier this week, Danab Brigade commander Gen. Jimcaale Jamaac Takar said in Las Anod that his forces no longer recognize Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni as their commander-in-chief. He said the unit would instead place itself, temporarily, under the authority of Northeastern Regional State President Abdulqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye.
The statement marked a sharp escalation in the standoff between Garowe and Mogadishu, where relations have deteriorated amid broader disputes over federal authority, elections and power-sharing.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre attended Firdhiye’s inauguration on Saturday in Las Anod, alongside senior federal officials, regional leaders, traditional elders and foreign diplomats. The high-profile ceremony was widely seen as a show of federal backing for the new administration and a direct challenge to Puntland’s influence in the area.
Puntland officials say the defection of officers and equipment threatens the region’s security architecture and undermines command and control. Federal officials, meanwhile, have framed the deployment of former Puntland forces in Las Anod as a legitimate effort to stabilize the region under federal authority.
Security analysts warn that unresolved disputes over weapons, loyalty and command structures risk fueling further instability, particularly in a city already shaped by years of conflict and political contestation.
Source Hiiraan Online
