GAROWE (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s northeastern semi-autonomous region of Puntland has deployed hundreds of fresh troops to the coastal town of Bosaso, in a last-ditch attempt to quell mutiny staged by members of elite security force.
It follows remarks by regional president Saeed Abdullahi Deni on Sunday, who vowed to hold the mutineers accountable for their defiance of government orders and said he would not negotiate over the region’s peace and protection of its laws.
Hundreds of troops with dozens of military vehicles entered the coastal town of Bosaso after midnight on Sunday, days after mutinous soldiers set up defenses inside the town.
Residents have raised fear of clashes between the region’s security forces after efforts by regional elders to mediate an end to the standoff came to no avail.
Tensions escalated in the northern region after president Saeed Deni sacked the commander of Puntland Security Force (PSF) Mohamud Osman, who defied the presidential decree and insisted on continuing his work.
Security forces in the region have staged a number of other short-lived mutinies, mainly over lack of payments, but the current deadlock appears to be more complicated and political than previous tensions as the mutineers try to prevent the regional president from influencing election for a number of federal parliament seats allocated for the region.
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