By: Yusuf M Hasan
LAS ANOD (Somalilandsun) – “How can well fed and regularly paid Soldiers defect to Puntland where counterparts go hungry and without pay for months’?
This query was the rejoinder by the commander of the Eastern front army units Colonel Ambaashe to claims from Garowe that defectors from the Somaliland army have been absorbed by the Somalia administrative region of Puntland.
Officials of the Puntland regional administration had on Monday used many of their paid media channels posted photographs of some well-fed men clad in Somaliland army fatigues purporting them to be defectors from a number of eastern front units.
While Urging Puntland to devise other politically orientated propaganda mechanisms the Colonel who termed constant insinuations from Garowe of Somaliland army personnel defecting to the enclave said “Though unthinkable for troops under my command or other units of the somaliland army defecting, if they ever did it shall never be to Puntland where soldiers are perpetually hungry and go for months without pay”
Informing that all members of the Somaliland national army are well versed on the conditions under which their nemesis in the enclave serve under, Col Ambaashe said only one foolish of which none in his Command is, would exchange the guarantee of three full meals daily and regular pay in exchange for the uncertainty within Puntland ranks.
Wondering about the lowly discipline existing within the Puntland army cum pirate general staff as pertains to revealing secrets the Somaliland Special forces commander said in the contrary it is his command that is receiving Puntland army defectors on a daily basis.
Said he, “Being a disciplined force we do not trumpet the never ending stream of Defectors from Puntland whom we unfortunately have to feed for days before debriefing”
Recently the Somaliland government reinforced its eastern front army with establishment of new bases staffed by battle ready nits from Special Forces battalions in Badan and Elayo in Sanaag region and in Buhodle both within striking distances of Punt land’s Garowe and Bosaso towns.
These deployments came as a Hargeisa bluff to then bragging’s and threats from the enclave’s president Abdiweli Gas that pertained to forceful annexation of areas in the East of Sanaag and entire Sool region to his Puntland.
Having been shown realities Gas whose vows of visiting the areas deep inside somaliland, come shine or rain, come to naught after the somaliland troops said their main mission was to capture Gas if he ever set foot in somaliland thence his big about-turn from forceful annexation of lands Somaliland to the very hallow claims that Hargeisa is the main Al-Shabaab sponsor.
