GAROWE (KAAB TV) – The government of Puntland has acknowledged the absence of specialized rehabilitation centers for young militants who have defected from or been captured while fighting for extremist groups such as Al-Shabaab and Daesh (ISIS).
Speaking before the Puntland Parliament, Minister of Justice Mohamed Abdiwahab Ahmed addressed growing concerns over the treatment and rehabilitation of these youth. The minister clarified that due to the serious threat they pose to public safety, these individuals are currently being held in standard prison facilities rather than dedicated rehabilitation centers.
“These are not ordinary youths,” Minister Ahmed said. “They are highly trained militants—some of them are skilled fighters who have undergone rigorous military training. One of them is capable of overpowering five armed soldiers. Others have been involved in the deaths of up to 20 people or possess expertise in manufacturing explosives. These are not individuals who can be placed in ordinary homes or lightly supervised centers.”
His comments came in response to a recent visit by members of the Puntland Parliament to local prisons, where lawmakers encountered several inmates who were former Al-Shabaab and Daesh fighters. Some of the MPs expressed concern over the lack of proper rehabilitation facilities and advocated for specialized centers to help reintegrate these young individuals back into society.
The debate also revived memories of a 2018 incident in which at least 10 former Al-Shabaab members escaped from a rehabilitation center in Garoowe. Most of those escapees had been captured during the 2016 conflicts in Suuj and Garmaal and were reportedly very young at the time of their detention.
While security remains the government’s top priority, the issue raises broader questions about how Puntland—and Somalia more generally—should handle former militants, particularly those recruited as children. The minister did not indicate whether plans are underway to develop more secure or specialized rehabilitation programs.
The discussion highlights the ongoing challenge facing Puntland in balancing the need for national security with the potential for deradicalization and reintegration of former combatants, especially youth drawn into extremist ideologies at a young age.