Bosaso (WDN)-A political and humanitarian scandal is unfolding in Puntland as reports emerge of severe neglect toward soldiers wounded in the ongoing military operation in the Calmiskaad Mountains. The situation has triggered a public outcry — and a forceful response from President Said Abdullahi Deni, who has signaled that heads may roll if accountability is not enforced.

On Saturday morning, a group of injured soldiers staged a protest outside Bosaso General Hospital, blocking the main road and bringing traffic to a standstill. The soldiers, wounded during operations against ISIS-affiliated militants in the Calmiskaad region, accused Puntland’s Forces Support Committee of embezzling funds raised specifically for their medical care and post-combat rehabilitation.

“We’ve received no support whatsoever. We’re lying in hospital beds without proper care, while the money collected from the people of Puntland has disappeared into the pockets of heartless middlemen,” said one injured soldier, speaking to local media. The protest reflects growing frustration over what the wounded describe as a total breakdown in the system meant to support them.

The committee in question was established by Puntland authorities to oversee the welfare of soldiers injured in the Calmiskaad campaign. It reportedly raised significant funds from public donations. However, frontline soldiers now say those funds never reached them.

Sources close to the presidency confirmed that President Deni was swiftly briefed on the incident and responded with urgency. He issued an emergency order for the immediate medical evacuation of the wounded soldiers to Garowe, where they will receive proper treatment and their conditions can be closely monitored.

But the president’s response did not stop there. According to high-level sources, Deni sharply reprimanded members of the support committee accused of financial mismanagement and issued a stern warning that those found guilty of corruption or negligence would be removed from their posts.

“There will be no tolerance for those who enrich themselves while soldiers bleed on the battlefield,” a senior official told (WDN) on condition of anonymity. “The president is deeply angered and determined to clean house if necessary.”

Observers say the scandal could become a major test for Deni’s administration, especially given the public support behind the Calmiskaad military campaign. Many in Puntland see the war against ISIS as a defining battle — one that has cost lives and demanded sacrifice from young soldiers now reportedly abandoned by the very system that promised to protect them.

Calls are now growing for a full investigation into the committee’s financial conduct and a transparent audit of the funds raised and disbursed in the name of wounded soldiers.

Meanwhile, civil society groups and military families are urging the Puntland government to establish more permanent systems of veteran care — beyond ad hoc committees — and to uphold the dignity of those who put their lives on the line for the state.

For now, President Deni has taken the reins of the situation personally, dispatching a medical team and demanding daily updates on the transferred soldiers. But for many, the damage to public trust has already begun to show.

“This is about more than money,” said one activist in Bosaso. “It’s about respect. If we cannot care for our wounded, then what exactly are we fighting for?”

With pressure mounting, and with the president now personally invested in the outcome, accountability may soon come knocking — and not everyone in the Forces Support Committee is likely to survive politically.

WardheerNews