A battle-wagon and its armed crew of more than a dozen soldiers crossed over to Somaliland, Sunday, at the Tukaraq front-line between the Somaliland Republic army and Puntland militias.
The Commander of the nee unit from Puntland, Mohamed Farah, stated that they were part of a 208-strong militia unit recruited from the Buuhoodle area of Danan by the Vice President of Puntland, Abdihakeem Ammey, on the pretext that they were going to defend clan interests from an invading Somaliland army.
“We have been told that a battle was raging between marauding Somaliland forces wishing to take over land from Dhulbahante clans and the beleaguered clans defending their rights,” he said.
“We have discovered since then that none of what we had been told was true. Instead, we were transported from all over the place to defend Garowe buildings. That was the only objective behind Ammey’s canvassing for more blood to shed,” he added.
The mutinied militia was received at the Somaliland army command post of Gojja Addo by Brigadier General Ali Barreh Hussein, and the Governor of Sool region, Abdi Khayrre.
General Barreh told the members of the new unit and their officers that they were Somaliland army personnel from that moment on.
“Since you have realized that this is your home and that you were misled on false pretext that had no basis at all, we draft you into the Somaliland army subject to the rules and regulations of the military,” General Barreh informed them.
