MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s northeastern semi-autonomous region of Puntland has expelled dozens of federal police recruits, foiling an attempt by the Somali police chief Abdi Hassan Hijar to recruit hundreds of officers from his home town.
Several youth, who appeared in a video circulated online, said they had been ordered by authorities to leave on foot overnight, adding that they had been threatened with arrest if they fail to end their stay in the region within a few hours.
The youth said they are Somali police recruits, who had come from the towns of Buhodle and Lasanod, and Puntland’s move would not deter their intention to serve the federal government.
Authorities in Puntland, who claim that both Lasanod and Buhodle are towns part of their regional adminstration, raised skepticism about the motive behind the recruitment process and deemed police chief’s plan a potential security threat.
Somali police chief comes from the two towns and his efforts are said to be part of plan to exert government control over towns in Sool region and Togdheer regions. Somali police officials have not immediately commented on the expulsion of its recruits from Puntland region.
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