Puntland Bars Federal Forces, Deepening Political Rift with Mogadishu

Garowe (WDN) – Puntland has formally ordered that military personnel and vehicles operating under the authority of Somalia’s Federal Government will no longer be permitted to enter, transit through, or remain within Puntland territory, marking a dramatic escalation in the long-running dispute between Garowe and Mogadishu.

In a statement issued following a meeting of the Puntland Council of Ministers, the regional government declared that Puntland does not currently consider itself part of Somalia’s federal military structure until a comprehensive political agreement is reached on the unresolved disputes between Puntland and the Federal Government.

The Council instructed all Puntland security agencies to enforce the directive, stating that no armed forces other than those officially under Puntland’s command will be allowed to operate within its jurisdiction. The decision comes amid growing controversy over the Federal Government’s recent appointment of General Jimcaale Jaamac Takar as commander of the Somali National Army’s 54th Division, a military formation whose headquarters is designated to be in Garowe, the capital of Puntland.

According to reports, the 54th Division is intended to oversee federal forces operating within Puntland’s regions. The move has fueled political tensions, particularly after newly recruited troops reportedly arrived in Galkayo following recruitment efforts in the town of Galdogob.