Retired disabled soldiers from Somaliland’s armed forces blocked the road leading to the Ministry of Defense this morning, complaining about not being paid.
The soldiers, who burned tires and blocked the road with stones, said they sacrificed their lives to defend Somaliland, but were not paid their salaries.
“The Ministry of Defense will not do anything until our issue is resolved. We have no salary, no leader, no authority. There is no one between me and the President. These people are the people who defended the country, but today they are left alone. By God, by God, by God, we will not sit still, even if a thousand people blaspheme, until our grievances are heard,” said one of the disabled soldiers.
Meanwhile, the General Command of the Somaliland Military and the Ministry of Defense both spoke out about the incident, issuing contradictory statements. The General Command of the National Army has categorically denied that the protesters are members of the military, stating that they have no rights in the military.
“The General Command of the National Army clarifies that these members are not members of the National Army, but rather employees of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Somaliland. At the same time, there is no lack of rights for the General Command of the National Army,” a statement from the command said.
Meanwhile, Somaliland’s Defense Minister, Mohamed Yusuf Ali, who spoke to Galaydh TV after the protest, said that the protesting soldiers are regular soldiers in the army, and also disabled pensioners with military rights, but they are demanding a salary increase.
“They are disabled from Birjeex camp, from different forces. This is not the first time they have held such a protest; this is the third time. They are demanding a salary increase to be on par with soldiers on the front lines. Their demand is a salary increase, but this will not come by force, it is a government program that requires a budget,” said Minister Mohamed.
The minister also said that the protesters were receiving support from organized groups that brought tires and stones cut from the road in vehicles, and that information about this has been passed on to the security agencies for investigation.
“A government program is underway to register all disabled soldiers, and their registration is under control. Also, the 2026 budget includes a plan to allocate resources for the disabled,” the Minister added.
This is the first time that soldiers from the Somaliland military have blocked the streets to directly complain about unpaid wages. However, the Somaliland government has increased the salaries of the soldiers by 50% this year, saying that it will increase them by the same amount every year.
