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President Abdirahman “Cirro”‘s appointment of Major General Abdurahman Abdullahi Hassan Allale “Abdi Dhere” as Police Commissioner and Lieutenant General Nimcaan Yusuf Osman Gahnug as Army Chief has sent shockwaves through Somaliland’s reform community, coming just 24 hours after launching what he called a transformative initiative to eliminate ghost personnel from security forces’ payrolls through biometric registration.
The timing of these appointments – which maintain military control over civilian law enforcement and place an untested commander at the helm of armed forces engaged in active combat – has raised profound questions about the new administration’s commitment to its campaign promises of institutional reform and professional security services.
“The appointment of a military general to head the Somaliland police is unexpected and sets back any possibility of police reform,” prominent human rights lawyer Guleid Jama told Somaliland Chronicle. “The police is not a military institution. It is currently affected and shaped by the history of the military regime under the brutal dictatorship of Siad Barre. The people of Somaliland decided in 1991 to end military rule over civilian institutions and created a civilian and republican government. It is an affront to democracy to militarize the police.”
While President Abdirahman “Cirro”‘s young administration has maintained a commendable record of not detaining journalists or suppressing peaceful protests, the appointment of another military commander to head the police force threatens this brief honeymoon period. Critics argue that militarized policing has historically undermined public trust and accountability, perpetuating practices that the president himself condemned while in opposition.
The appointment of Lieutenant General Nim’an Yusuf Osman Gahnug to lead the National Army raises equally serious concerns about military preparedness. Despite formal military training in Taiwan and Ethiopia and experience commanding both the Presidential Guard Unit and Gamadiid Special Forces units, questions persist about his combat leadership experience at a critical moment in Somaliland’s security landscape.
This appointment comes as Somaliland faces its most serious security challenges in years. The conflict that began in Las Anod has now spread into the Sanaag hinterland, yet the new administration has failed to articulate any concrete strategy to address these expanding security threats. Military observers note that the new army chief faces the daunting task of proving his battlefield credentials while simultaneously implementing reforms to tackle systematic corruption that has drained military resources for years.
Perhaps most revealing of the administration’s priorities is President Abdirahman “Cirro”‘s decision to name former Police Commissioner Brigadier General Mohamed Adan Sagadhi (Dabagale) as his advisor on police matters – the same official he repeatedly accused of orchestrating human rights violations while in opposition. “Surprisingly, the president made Dabagale his adviser on police issues,” Jama observed. “The president, when he was the opposition leader, is on the record accusing the police under the leadership of Dabagale of committing human rights violations. Dabagale is not a changed man.”
These appointments reflect deeper structural challenges within Somaliland’s governance system. The presidential decree mandating biometric registration by February 2025 aims to combat a longstanding practice where senior military and police officials allegedly inflate their salaries through non-existent personnel. However, the selection of leaders deeply embedded in this system raises questions about implementation.
“As the president recently admitted, his appointments are mostly driven by tribal quotas and pressure from powerful individuals,” Jama explained. “This negatively affects the appointment of qualified individuals and mostly excludes women. There is clearly a lack of preparation from the president’s side. It seems he was solely focused on getting to power. Now he is in power, and he does not have a plan.”
The implications extend far beyond personnel decisions. Human rights organizations have documented how militarized policing has historically facilitated excessive force during public demonstrations, while mechanisms for investigating and addressing police misconduct remain woefully inadequate. The force’s training continues to emphasize military-style tactics over civilian law enforcement practices, and attempts to establish meaningful civilian oversight have been consistently thwarted.
The success of the biometric registration initiative, which promises a 50% salary increase for security personnel, now rests in the hands of the very officials who have benefited from the system it aims to reform. Sources within the security sector, speaking on condition of anonymity, express skepticism about whether these appointments signal genuine reform or merely a reshuffling of familiar faces.
The Presidency did not respond to detailed questions about the selection criteria for these positions, their alignment with reform goals, or President Abdirahman “Cirro” government’s strategy for addressing mounting security challenges in the east. As Somaliland grapples with its most significant security crisis in years, the contrast between President Abdirahman “Cirro”‘s campaign promises and his early appointments suggests a troubling continuity with the practices he once condemned.
