Boosaaso — A key customs checkpoint in Harfo, Mudug region, has been under the control of mutinous soldiers for nearly ten days, disrupting one of Puntland’s main trade routes and stranding hundreds of cargo trucks carrying goods from the port of Boosaaso.
The troops, who say they have not received salaries from the Puntland administration, sealed off the vital highway, blocking shipments of food and other essentials. Some of the detained trucks, laden with fresh produce, are now facing spoilage, raising concerns over economic losses and rising prices.
Local elders have reportedly been linked to the standoff, with former Harfo district commissioner Abdiqaadir Omar Mohaamed (Jeylaani) accusing traditional leaders in Mudug of fuelling the unrest. “This is not spontaneous — the soldiers belong to clans, and their elders are backing them,” he said, warning that taxpaying civilians were being unfairly punished.
The Puntland government has yet to comment publicly on the standoff, drawing criticism from local leaders who say the administration has failed to resolve a crisis that is paralysing trade and deepening public frustration.
