Sunday March 2, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — The Puntland administration’s failure to act decisively allowed ISIS to entrench itself in the Bari region over the past six years, according to Dr. Guled Salah Barre, a former chairman of the Puntland Electoral Commission.
Dr. Guled, who challenged President Said Abdullahi Deni in the 2024 Puntland presidential election, accused Deni of negligence in countering the group’s expansion. His criticism follows a successful military offensive launched in January 2025 to drive ISIS militants from the region.
In a Facebook post, he questioned why Puntland authorities had not moved against ISIS sooner. “Did they just appear overnight, arriving in boats like Al-Shabaab fighters once did near Garacad and Eyl? Weren’t these same young men fighting now already part of our security forces? If President Deni could mobilize troops in months, why did he do nothing for six years when the enemy was weaker?”
Dr. Guled also condemned the government’s inaction regarding civilians displaced from militant-held areas. “Where was the government supposed to represent them?” he asked, calling for accountability for what he described as a severe failure of leadership.
He proposed several measures to prevent ISIS from regrouping, including establishing permanent military bases in the Calmiskaad Mountains and launching thorough investigations into financial networks and local collaborators who supported the group. He emphasized that those responsible must be brought to justice.
