Puntland Needs to Introduce a Weapons and Ammunition Management System

[Deeq A.]

Puntland Defence Forces pursue Daesh terrorists in the Calmiskaad mountain range hideouts.

Boosaaso (PP Editorial) — Puntland State of Somalia is carrying out the final stage of counterterrorism operations in Calmiskaad. For more than nine months, the Puntland State Defence Forces have been fighting Daesh terrorists that established hideouts in the mountainous areas. Puntland has lost many brave soldiers, and many others have been wounded.

It is true that Puntland State is wary of allowing for the deployment of the Somali National Army in districts under its jurisdiction. This decision sadly puts Puntland at a disadvantage when it comes to seeking its share of weapons supplied to the Federal Government of Somalia by international partners. Nearly three years ago, Puntland State introduced biometric registration for its forces. This policy has weeded out phantom soldiers who were on the payroll of Puntland State of Somalia.

In Boosaaso today, the US Ambassador to Somalia Richard H. Riley IV referred to the Puntland Defence Forces as “local forces”, despite the USA being one of the major supporters of the Somali National Army. The SNA is based in all Federal Member States except Puntland State of Somalia. The Federal Government of Somalia has an obligation to find ways to assuage Puntland State of its fears that SNA units commanded from Mogadishu might undermine, rather than enhance, Puntland Defence Forces. Managing post-civil war mistrust is a responsibility that the Federal Government of Somalia is expected to shoulder through talks with, and visits to, Puntland State of Somalia.

The second step to consolidate the biometric registration achievement is for Puntland State of Somalia to follow in the footsteps of the Federal Government of Somalia and to implement a weapons and ammunition management system. “The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) has become the first country in the world to adopt chemical taggant technology to render its national ammunition stockpile fully traceable,” reported Conflict Armament Research.

Before the introduction of the ammunition tracing system, the SNA used a system that detected gun theft by registering the details of the soldier. A soldier who once sold his gun but later applied to join the police force in Mogadishu was flagged by the database as “a soldier who did not return his gun.”

In the meantime, Puntland State of Somalia should not shy away from demanding its share of weapons supplied to the Federal Government of Somalia, because Puntland State is a Federal Member State that is at war with transnational terrorism posing a threat to the sovereignty of Somalia.

© Puntland Post, 2025

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