Growing Concerns Over Soldiers’ Protests Disrupting Key Roads and Services in Puntland

GAROWE (WDN)– Discontent among Puntland soldiers over unpaid wages and neglect by the regional government has sparked growing unrest, with soldiers blocking vital transport routes and even restricting access to health facilities.

Throughout August and into 2025, groups of protesting soldiers have repeatedly disrupted traffic on the Garowe–Galkacyo highway, one of Puntland’s most critical trade and travel corridors. On August 16, WardheerNews received reports from a traveler who was stopped near Xarfo district, where soldiers had established a roadblock. According to the traveler, soldiers initially halted the convoy but later allowed vehicles to continue toward Galkacyo after voicing grievances over unpaid salaries and a lack of government support.

The unrest has spread beyond the highways. On the same day, August 16, armed soldiers closed the entrance to the main hospital in Bosaso, blocking public transport and restricting movement along a busy road. This action raised public alarm, as it prevented patients and ambulances from reaching the hospital at a time when medical services are already under strain.

Many of the protesting troops were wounded during Operation Calmiskaad—Puntland’s military campaign against ISIS militants in the mountains of Bari region. They accuse the government of abandoning them, both financially and medically, despite their sacrifices on the battlefield.

“We risked our lives fighting terrorism, but today we cannot even access basic care or receive our salaries,” one protesting soldier told locals, according to eyewitness accounts shared with WardheerNews.

So far, the Puntland government has remained silent, issuing no official statement. This lack of response has fueled frustration among soldiers and concern among civilians, who fear the protests could escalate into wider instability. People are concerned and warn if grievances continue to go unaddressed, Puntland’s fragile security and economy heavily dependent on open trade routes could face serious disruption in the coming months.

WardheerNews