Puntland has handed over the troops and vehicles it seized this morning in the city of Galkayo to the Galmudug administration, following discussions between officials from both sides.
The Puntland and Galmudug administrations discussed the security situation in the Mudug region and the vehicles Puntland had detained; these talks resulted in an agreement to transfer the troops to Galmudug.
Galmudug clarified that the troops consisted of young recruits enlisted for the Somali National Army; they were en route to a military camp in the Galgaduud region but had inadvertently crossed into the northern part of Galkayo.
According to reports, the Puntland presidency ordered Mudug region security agencies to hand over the troops and their equipment to the Galmudug administration following the conclusion of negotiations between the two sides.
Galmudug’s Deputy Minister of Justice, Maxamuud Guure Guuleed, stated that the troops were primarily young men recruited from within Galmudug areas, prepared locally, and were being transported to Xananbuure.
Despite the serious dispute between Puntland and the Federal Government, Puntland and Galmudug maintain a cooperative relationship regarding security matters.
The Galmudug administration stated that the Federal Government of Somalia troops and young recruits detained in Galkayo did not intentionally cross into Puntland territory; rather, specific communications led the two vehicles carrying them to veer off their intended route.
Puntland reported the detention of these forces—comprising both soldiers and officers—after they entered the northern section of Galkayo. Puntland officials noted that the troops had been en route to the Xananbuure area in the Galgaduud region.
Deputy Minister of Justice Maxamuud Guure Guuleed told the media that the group consisted primarily of young recruits enlisted in Galmudug—prepared within the administration’s territory—and was being transported to Xananbuure in the Galgaduud region.
He explained that after leaving Galkayo, the two vehicles turned toward Puntland, attributing the incident to a military officer who was in charge of the convoy.
“There was no violation,” said Maxamuud Guure Guuleed, noting that the location where the incident occurred is a route used by vehicles and forces from both sides. The Deputy Minister also stated that the individuals on board were not yet formally enlisted soldiers, but rather young men being prepared to join the government forces.
He called on Puntland to immediately release the youths and troops detained during the incident, asserting that this matter should not be used to damage relations between the two administrations.
“We are brothers; we are neighbors,” he said, noting that Galmudug and Puntland are two Somali administrations that share ties and cooperation.
However, Puntland stated that it had captured 130 soldiers belonging to the Federal Government of Somalia—troops whom the Puntland Vice President claimed were sent to cause instability within Puntland.
