Puntland cites prison breaks in refusing to rehabilitate militant youth

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Tuesday June 24, 2025

FILE — A composite image showing fighters from Somalia’s Al-Shabaab (left) and the Islamic State group’s Somalia faction (right). Puntland authorities cite the combat training and operational capabilities of captured militants from both groups as justification for holding them in high-security prisons rather than rehabilitation centers.

Garowe (HOL) — Puntland’s government has ruled out placing young Al-Shabaab and ISIS fighters in rehabilitation centers, arguing that the militants are too dangerous to be housed outside secure detention facilities.

Justice Minister Mohamed Abdiwahaab Ahmed told the Puntland Parliament on Tuesday that the regional administration lacks dedicated rehabilitation centers and instead holds all captured or defected youth militants in regular prisons.

“These are not simply misguided youths,” Ahmed said. “They are militarily trained operatives. Some of them have killed over 20 people or can build explosives. A single one can overpower multiple armed guards. They cannot be trusted in normal homes or open centers.”

His comments followed a parliamentary visit to several prisons across Puntland, where lawmakers encountered dozens of former fighters from Al-Shabaab and ISIS. Some MPs expressed concern that the detainees, many of whom are under 25, were being held without access to tailored rehabilitation programs.

But Puntland officials cite past security failures as justification for their hardened stance. In February 2018, at least 10 former Al-Shabaab fighters escaped from a rehabilitation center in Garowe. The detainees—many of whom had been captured during the 2016 battles in Suuj and Garmaal—were reportedly able to access keys and flee due to lax supervision. The escape triggered criticism from civil society and raised doubts about the viability of non-secure reintegration programs for militant defec+++tors.

Reinforcing those concerns, the Galkayo Central Prison, one of Puntland’s most fortified detention sites, has faced repeated security breaches despite its high-risk profile. In May 2025, armed militia fighters launched a coordinated assault on the facility in an apparent attempt to free convicted Al-Shabaab operatives. The attack marked the third such incident at the prison since 2022, following a deadly raid earlier in the year and an August 2024 escape in which four militants sentenced to death slipped through under unclear circumstances.

These escapes, officials argue, demonstrate that even fortified detention facilities remain vulnerable—let alone open rehabilitation centers.

Puntland’s security-focused approach diverges from international partners and UN agencies, who have long promoted rehabilitation and reintegration for captured or defecting fighters, particularly juveniles. In past statements, UNICEF and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have criticized Somali regional authorities for trying minors in military courts or detaining them without access to legal counsel or psychosocial support.

In 2017, a UN human rights expert praised Puntland for early reforms in juvenile justice and encouraged the expansion of child-sensitive rehabilitation programming. But the momentum has since stalled, with security incidents hardening public and institutional attitudes toward detainees accused of terrorism.

Puntland officials acknowledged the challenge of balancing justice, reintegration, and public safety, particularly as the region continues operations against both Al-Shabaab and ISIS cells in the Bari mountains and other parts of northeastern Somalia.

“These (youth) are militant professionals,” Ahmed said. “These are not people you can keep in a regular house or open facility.”

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