Garbahaarrey, Somalia – Tension has heightened in the Gedo region after a group of security personnel recently recruited by the Federal Government of Somalia and registered under the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) staged a mutiny over unpaid salaries and rations, SomDaily.com has learned.
The soldiers, stationed between Garbahaarrey and Baladxaawo, mounted multiple roadblocks across key intersections in Garbahaarrey on Thursday morning, disrupting transport and movement within the district. According to several security sources, the troops say they have not received their salary or food allowances for the second consecutive month.
The protesting forces—initially enlisted from Gedo under a special recruitment plan—were formally documented as NISA personnel. However, officials in Mogadishu confirm that the new batch of recruits was never incorporated into NISA’s official payroll or budget, raising further questions about the transparency and oversight of the recruitment process.
Sources within NISA headquarters say that during recruitment, then-Director Mahad Salad reportedly assured the troops that he would personally cover their payments through “alternative financial channels” available to him. Soldiers now argue that no such support has materialized, leaving them stranded without income or provisions in remote frontline areas.
Residents told SomDaily.com that the roadblocks erected by the mutinous troops caused temporary disruptions, with soldiers insisting they would not remove the checkpoints until their grievances are addressed. “They say they cannot continue serving without pay for two months. Some have families depending on them,” said a local elder who requested anonymity for security reasons.
Security analysts warn that the unrest underscores chronic structural weaknesses in Somalia’s security sector, where irregular payments, fragmented authority, and parallel recruitment channels continue to generate instability at local and national levels. The situation in Gedo also risks escalating tensions between local communities and federal authorities, at a time when Somalia is attempting to consolidate security gains across the country.
Local officials in Garbahaarrey say they are attempting mediation while awaiting clear directives from Mogadishu. Meanwhile, the troops remain stationed at the improvised checkpoints, insisting that they will not return to their posts until their demands for salary and ration arrears are met.
SomDaily.com will continue to follow developments in Gedo as they unfold.
