Puntland had deployed troops in the Sanaag district after the local police had been accused of turning a blind eye to Somaliland voter registration plans in the district earlier in the week.
“Puntland (has) sent more troops to Badhan but people feel less safe. What is the Puntland Government going to do about this problem?” a traditional leader asked the Interior Minister.
Mr Dhaban’ad acknowledged security issues in Dhahar and criticised the district police for dereliction of duty.
“It has come to our attention that our security forces in Dhahar facilitate the smuggling of alcohol into Puntland. The Puntland Government had taken steps to reform our security forces” said the Minister.
Mr Dhaban’ad also said that some government employees had been seen tipsy, and that the Government would not tolerate any professional misconduct.
This article first appeared in the © Puntland Post, 2021 and is republished with permission