Puntland Dervish Force
The Puntland Dervish Force (,  ) is the official paramilitary division of the Puntland Security Force. History. Following the outbreak of the civil war in 1991, a homegrown constitutional conference was held in Garowe in 1998 over a period of three months. Attended by the area's political elite, traditional elders ("Issims"), members of the business community, intellectuals and other civil society representatives, the autonomous Puntland State of Somalia was subsequently officially established so as to deliver services to the population, offer security, facilitate trade, and interact with both domestic and international partners. The Puntland Security Force (PSF) was  subsequently formed by the regional government. Since the founding of the state in 1998, the Puntland Dervish Force has operated in Puntland and throughout Somalia. Commanders and senior officials of the military are appointed by a qualified panel approved by the Council of Ministers. The Puntland security apparatus has an independent military judiciary, which during peacetime only adjudges military proceedings. Retired members of the Force are also constitutionally guaranteed pensions.