LAS ANOD, Somalia — An arms shipment reportedly sent by Somalia’s federal government to Las Anod without the prior knowledge or approval of Northeastern State leader Abdikadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye, has triggered fresh tensions over security coordination and dealings with regional officials.
The shipment arrived on Friday, October 9, after arrangements reportedly involving some members of the leadership of the regional House of Representatives. Firdhiye subsequently took control of the weapons and ordered their transfer to a location under his protection, according to the account describing the incident.
The reported delivery comes days after his camp raised concerns about security arrangements during his departure from Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport. Together, the incidents have brought renewed attention to communication between federal authorities and the leadership in Las Anod.
Firdhiye Takes Control of Weapons
Firdhiye reportedly objected after learning that the weapons had been supplied through members of the parliamentary leadership without his approval.
He then directed that the shipment be taken into his custody and moved to a separately guarded location, according to the report. That intervention placed the weapons under his control rather than leaving them with their intended recipient.
His objection appears to concern both the handling of the shipment and the decision to arrange it without informing him. The account describes anger within his camp and growing suspicion about the purpose behind the delivery.
Earlier Airport Incident Adds to Mistrust
The dispute follows a separate incident at Aden Adde International Airport on Sunday, October 4, when Firdhiye was preparing to leave Mogadishu.
According to the account, members of his protocol team became suspicious of passengers from the Adhicadeeye area who boarded the aircraft on which he was travelling.
His camp subsequently raised concerns with federal authorities about airport protocol and his security.
Additional information obtained by Baidoa Online indicates that the arms shipment delivered to Las Anod from Mogadishu was intended for the speaker of Northeastern State’s House of Representatives and was cleared by the Somali Federal Police Command. Baidoa Online reports that a letter sent from Las Anod supports this account, although the document has not been independently verified. The new information provides further details about the intended recipient of the shipment, which Firdhiye’s side reportedly took into custody upon arrival. Preliminary reports now suggest that the weapons were subsequently handed over to the speaker’s side, along with two people detained in connection with the delivery. Both individuals reportedly belonged to federal security forces and shared clan ties with the speaker. Sources linked the reported handover to political tensions between Firdhiye and his deputy, but the circumstances surrounding that decision, the grounds for the detentions and the status of the two individuals remain unclear.
The shipment dispute follows other reported incidents involving forces and individuals associated with the two sides. Last week, forces drawn from their respective clans reportedly came close to fighting at the regional divisional command headquarters after a disagreement over a vehicle being fitted with a mounted weapon. The vehicle had been taken from a garage where work was being carried out, prompting objections from members of the speaker’s clan, according to the additional account. Separately, on Sunday, October 4, Firdhiye reportedly raised security concerns about young men from the speaker’s clan who were due to board his flight from Mogadishu to Las Anod, creating further tension. The available information does not establish that those passengers posed a threat or were connected to the weapons delivery. Taken together, the reported incidents suggest growing mistrust over security arrangements and the distribution of military equipment within the regional administration. The additional account includes no direct response from Firdhiye, his deputy, the speaker or the Federal Police Command.
