Dhusamareb, Somalia – Somalia’s federal government airlifted military supplies into the central town of Dhusamareb on Saturday to arm about 1,000 newly trained troops, local sources said, underscoring Mogadishu’s twin push to fight militants and secure upcoming elections.
The weapons arrived in the Galmudug state capital for recruits who recently completed training on the outskirts of the town.
Sources told Somalia Today that officials were preparing the force to reinforce security across Galmudug and support operations in areas where Al-Qaeda-linked militants still retain a foothold.
The deployment comes as federal authorities and Somalia’s electoral bodies continue to build the machinery for direct voting.
Galmudug has already launched voter registration in Dhusamareb, which election officials have presented as a key step towards “one-person, one-vote” polls.
Election drive
The federal government has increasingly framed a return to direct elections in 2026 as a central political goal, seeking to replace decades of indirect, clan-based arrangements.
Somalia has not held broad direct national elections since 1969, before the coup led by Mohamed Siad Barre.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration has cast the push to restore universal suffrage as a defining step in rebuilding the state.
However, the electoral drive has also opened new political fault lines.
Recent constitutional changes approved by parliament have fuelled sharp debate over the timing and framework of the next elections.
In a country where power-sharing disputes between Mogadishu and federal member states have repeatedly triggered crises, opposition figures fear the process could deepen instability.
Strategic hub
In Galmudug, the political and military tracks now appear to be converging.
Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Kariye, better known as Qoor Qoor, is expected in Mogadishu this wekk, according to informed sources.
He has long been seen as one of the regional leaders uneasy with the speed and shape of Villa Somalia’s election plans, though his current position remains unclear.
Against that backdrop, the arrival of new weapons and troops in Dhusamareb is being seen not only as a military move but also as part of a wider federal government effort to strengthen its influence in a strategically important state.
Dhusamareb has for years served as both a political meeting ground and a military staging post in central Somalia.
Federal and state leaders have frequently used the town for high-level talks on elections and security, while Mohamud has previously made the city a key wartime hub during offensives against Al-Shabaab.
The city hosts the command of the Somali National Army’s 21st Division and has long served as a centre for troop training and military co-ordination in central Somalia.
The African Union mission adds to its wider importance. Djiboutian troops have long helped secure Dhusamareb and key installations, including the Ugaas Nuur airport.
Although the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) formally gave way to the new AUSSOM framework at the start of 2025, the city’s role in the regional security architecture has remained unchanged.
Security pressure
The military significance of the region has only grown as Somalia’s war against Al-Shabaab enters a more difficult phase.
The group suffered major setbacks during government-backed offensives in 2022 and 2023, particularly in central Somalia, where local clan militias joined the fight.
But the militants have since shown they can regroup, mount counter-attacks, and exploit weaknesses in supply lines.
In recent months, insurgents have continued to launch operations, underscoring the vulnerability of those gains.
Large rural areas remain outside state control, and the militants still have the capacity to strike key positions and pressure roads linking Mogadishu to the central regions.
The shipment also comes at a time of growing federal pressure in contested regional states.
Less than a week ago, federal troops entered Baidoa, prompting the resignation of South West state leader Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed after a bitter dispute over election plans.
That episode showed how quickly Somalia’s electoral disputes can reshape local power balances.
In Galmudug, officials appear keen to avoid a similar crisis by backing political plans with hard security on the ground.
The delivery also comes after the UN Security Council in December 2023 lifted the long-standing general arms embargo on the Somali government, giving Mogadishu far greater room to equip its regular forces, while sanctions targeting Al-Shabaab remained in place.