GARISSA, Kenya – At least 11 soldiers from the Somali National Army (SNA) have defected to Kenya, surrendering at the Hulugho border in Garissa County.
The group, which was armed with rifles and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, crossed into Kenya on Sunday evening, military officials and witnesses confirmed.
Security sources said the defectors, some of whom are Kenyan nationals, claimed they fled due to harassment and discrimination within the SNA ranks.
Their arrival prompted a swift response from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and other security agencies, who moved to secure the border area.
The soldiers were heavily armed, carrying a mix of AK-47 rifles, a PKM machine gun, and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher with warheads.
One of the defectors, identified as a Kenyan national, was unarmed.
Officials in Nairobi and Mogadishu have yet to comment on the incident.
However, sources indicated that the Somali nationals would likely be repatriated to Mogadishu, while the Kenyan defectors will undergo debriefing to determine further action.
The defection highlights ongoing instability in Somalia’s Jubaland region, where tensions between SNA troops and local forces have escalated.
In December, a much larger group of at least 300 SNA soldiers surrendered to Kenyan authorities after being overrun by Jubaland forces in Raaskambooni.
The latest defection raises concerns about the cohesion of the Somali military, which has struggled with internal divisions and desertions.
Jubaland, a semi-autonomous region bordering Kenya, has been a flashpoint for clashes between SNA troops and Jubaland forces loyal to the regional government.
Analysts say these defections could strain diplomatic relations between Kenya and Somalia, which have had a history of border security disputes.
The KDF has a significant presence in Somalia under the African Union Transition Mission (ATMIS), tasked with stabilizing the region and combating the militant group Al-Shabaab.
