GAROWE – The Puntland-based Danab commandos, an elite unit under the Somali National Army, have issued a stark warning to Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, accusing him of stoking internal conflict and declaring their support for the Puntland Security Force (PSF), in a move that threatens to deepen the already volatile rift between Garowe and Mogadishu.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Danab forces, led by General Jimcaale Takar, pledged allegiance to the PSF, which has been at the center of a long-running dispute with Deni’s administration. “The PSF has played a key role in Puntland’s security for many years, and they are Puntland’s forces,” the statement read. The commandos accused President Deni of instigating civil war within Puntland and using regional forces for personal gain.
A Force Divided: PSF and the Federal Government
The PSF, once a US-backed counter-terrorism unit, has been at odds with Deni’s administration since late 2021, when the president attempted to dismiss its then-commander, Mohamud Osman Diyaano. Though Deni later reinstated Diyaano, the underlying tensions never healed. The federal government has since moved to integrate the PSF into the Somali National Army, a move Puntland has rejected as an infringement on its authority.
The latest confrontation erupted on July 20, when Puntland’s Dervish forces clashed with PSF fighters in the Laag area outside Bosaso, resulting in at least one death and the capture of several PSF fighters. The Danab commandos’ statement frames this not as a security operation but as a political crackdown by Deni. “There is no external invasion of Puntland; the conflict is a political dispute among Puntland residents opposed to Deni’s authoritarianism and his family’s exploitation,” the commandos asserted.
Accusations of Authoritarianism and Exploitation
The Danab statement is unusually direct, accusing Deni of turning Puntland into a domain for his personal rule. “He attacks anyone who disagrees with him and wants to make Puntland a place for his sole dictatorship,” the statement said. It also warned against further bloodshed, urging that “the blood of Puntland soldiers should not be spilled” and that “conflict should not be sown among the various forces of Puntland.”
The commandos placed the responsibility for any escalation squarely on Deni. “The responsibility for starting war and internal conflict within Puntland will be borne by President Saciid Cabdillaahi Deni,” the statement concluded.
A Broader Political Confrontation
The Danab commandos’ intervention is the latest in a series of escalating political and military confrontations between Garowe and Mogadishu. Puntland has accused the federal government of orchestrating military movements aimed at destabilizing the region, with President Deni alleging that Mogadishu has armed and backed pirates along Puntland’s coastline. Puntland has also barred federal troops from operating within its territory and has accused the federal government of bypassing its command structure by directly paying 1,376 soldiers stationed within the state.
Prominent cleric and presidential adviser Sheikh Cali Maxamuud Xasan has also launched a blistering attack on Deni, urging him to abandon his alliance with the UAE and warning that the UAE’s regional influence is collapsing. Deni is widely seen as being closely aligned with the UAE, with some reports suggesting he secretly received $20 million from the UAE in exchange for undisclosed exploration rights.
A Dangerous Precedent
The Danab commandos’ statement is a significant escalation. By openly siding with the PSF and challenging Deni’s authority, the federally-aligned unit is signaling that Mogadishu is willing to use its military assets to undermine the Puntland administration. This comes as Puntland faces a severe financial crisis, with a 32.4% budget shortfall for 2026, and as the region struggles with unpaid troops and a closed Bosaso port.
For Deni, the challenge is to manage a security crisis that threatens to spiral out of control while navigating between his UAE allies and the federal government in Mogadishu. For the federal government, the challenge is to assert its authority without triggering a full-blown military confrontation. The Danab commandos’ intervention, while framed as a defense of Puntland’s security, risks being seen as a provocation that could push the region closer to armed conflict.
Way Forward
The Danab commandos’ warning to Deni is a stark reminder of the fragility of Somalia’s federal experiment. The confrontation between Garowe and Mogadishu is no longer just a political dispute; it is increasingly a military one, with competing forces and allegiances threatening to fracture the region. The international community, which has invested heavily in both Puntland’s stability and Somalia’s federal project, faces a dilemma. Backing Garowe risks undermining the federal government. Backing Mogadishu risks legitimising forces that Puntland considers illegitimate. The Danab commandos’ intervention, like so many others in Somalia, has no easy solution. But the alternative, continued confrontation with its inevitable cost in lives, is not a sustainable option.
