Badhan (WDN)-Tensions flared in the town of Ceelbuh, Sanaag region, after Puntland security forces reportedly surrounded and forced the evacuation of Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril, a former Speaker of the Puntland Parliament and now a leading opposition figure. Jibril, once a key insider in the Puntland government, has recently emerged as a vocal critic of President Said Abdullahi Deni and is now accused of aiding a broader campaign by the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) to undermine Puntland’s stability.

Puntland security forces, acting on intelligence reports, deployed troops to the area and surrounded Jibril’s location. Under pressure, he and his armed escort fled Ceelbuh.

According to sources on the ground, Jibril had been stationed in Ceelbuh for several days, orchestrating anti-Puntland meetings and mobilizing support for the inclusion of Sanaag into the newly proposed SSC-Khaatumo administration.

The incident has thrown a harsh spotlight on what Puntland officials describe as a coordinated strategy by Mogadishu to destabilize the Federal Member State from within, using local political figures-turned-operatives to sow division and disrupt regional unity.

“These are political mercenaries, guns for hire, sent to destroy their own homes,” said a senior Puntland official who requested anonymity. “They are being used by Villa Somalia to fracture our social fabric and destabilize a region they have no jurisdiction over.”

The Federal Government has been accused by multiple observers of exploiting internal rifts and manipulating clan grievances in Puntland as part of a long-running effort to assert federal control over semi-autonomous regions. The situation in Sanaag—a contested region also claimed by Somaliland—has become a powder keg, with residents now divided between supporting Puntland, SSC-Khaatumo, or Somaliland.

Jibril’s involvement in Ceelbuh is seen by many in Puntland as a betrayal. Critics argue that he isadvancing a federal agenda at the expense of the very communities he once represented, helping to inflame tensions in a historically fragile region.

“This isn’t opposition politics,” said a local elder in Badhan. “This is sabotage. How can you claim to be defending the people of Sanaag while actively working to dismantle their only functioning administration?”

The incident comes as Puntland increases its military presence across sensitive border areas and strategic districts in Sanaag. The state’s leaders have vowed to protect its territorial integrity and resist federal interference.

“Puntland was founded through unity and consent in 1998. Attempts to break it apart through political deception and foreign-sponsored agendas will not succeed,” said another official in Garowe.

The broader implications are troubling. If federal-backed destabilization continues, analysts warn of a dangerous precedent—one where federal ambitions override local governance and regional peace. Other Federal Member States, particularly those already grappling with internal challenges, may also find themselves vulnerable to similar tactics.

In Ceelbuh, the situation remains tense. While Jibril may have departed, the fault lines his presence exposed are still visible—and the people of Sanaag remain wary of being used as pawns in a larger political game orchestrated far from their homes.

WardheerNews