Galkayo (WDN) – In a dramatic development underscoring the deepening security and political rift between Puntland and Somalia’s Federal Government, soldiers affiliated with the Puntland Security Force (PSF) have vacated one of their key positions in Galkayo, relocating across the administrative boundary into Baraxley, an area under neighboring Galmudug administration.
The withdrawal comes amid escalating tensions following recent clashes between Puntland forces and PSF units, marking another significant shift in the increasingly volatile security landscape of northeastern Somalia. According to local sources, the PSF abandoned its base near Galkayo Airport, one of its principal operational positions in Puntland, after large numbers of Puntland security forces were deployed around the facility in what appeared to be a show of overwhelming force.
Witnesses reported that PSF personnel departed the compound with five military vehicles, crossing into Galmudug-controlled territory. Shortly afterward, municipal authorities in Galkayo reportedly dug trenches around the vacated base, a move widely interpreted as an effort to prevent the fighters from returning or re-establishing a presence there.
The relocation follows last week’s confrontation in Laag, in Puntland’s Bari region, where fighting between Puntland forces and PSF units resulted in the reported seizure of eight military vehicles from commanders aligned with the force. Those officers are now said to be serving within Somalia’s Federal Government security structure.
The latest developments come just days after Puntland’s Presidency issued a strongly worded statement declaring that no force known as the PSF legally exists within Puntland’s defense establishment. The regional administration further asserted that it does not recognize the presence of any Federal Government military units operating inside Puntland without its authorization.
The declaration represents a significant escalation in Puntland’s longstanding dispute with the Federal Government over security authority, command structures, and constitutional powers.
Political analysts warn that the relocation of PSF personnel into neighboring Galmudug could further complicate relations between Puntland, Galmudug, and Mogadishu at a time when Somalia is already grappling with a constitutional impasse, electoral uncertainty, and mounting security challenges.
For many observers, the withdrawal from Galkayo is more than a tactical military repositioning. It reflects the widening fragmentation of Somalia’s security architecture, where competing claims over the legitimacy and command of armed forces increasingly mirror the country’s broader political divisions.
Whether the relocation helps ease immediate tensions or merely shifts the confrontation across an administrative boundary remains uncertain. What is clear is that the dispute over the PSF has evolved into one of the most sensitive security issues confronting Puntland and the Federal Government, with potentially far-reaching implications for stability across northeastern Somalia.
WardheerNews