Hassan Sheikh: Somalia is on the right path to redemption

MOGADISHU, Somalia - President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has acknowledged steps made by Somalia in the state-building process the challenges notwithstanding, adding that he is optimistic that in coming years, the country would redeem itself from the ugly past which has been coupled with radicalization.

For three decades, Somalia has battled with civil wars, inter-clan conflicts, political rivalry, and violent extremism, making it one of the most dangerous countries to stay in across the world. In the process, thousands of people have been killed, making state-building a cumbersome task.

Addressing the Inter-Governmental Authority and Development [IGAD] meeting on Monday, Hassan Sheikh highlighted the progress made in politics, state-building, and counterterrorism in the country. Recently, the National Consultative Council [NCC] made proposals that if enacted, could lead to changing the current model of government.

Presently, Somalia is a federal republic with a parliamentary system of government, in which the Prime Minister is the Head of Government. Should the proposal get approval by parliament, the country would adopt the presidential system, automatically eroding the premiership post.

On terrorism, Somalia activated operations against Al-Shabaab in HirShabelle and Galmadug, an exercise which lead to the liberation of many villages besides the death of over 3,000 militants. The second phase will take place in Jubaland and Southwest states, but the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] is expected to start the withdrawal process from the country.

A few months ago, the Troops Contributing Countries including Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia agreed to dispatch non-ATMIS troops to the country who will work under the command of the Somali National Army [SNA] in the Al-Shabaab crackdown. The soldiers, Hassan Sheikh confirmed, will work for three months in the country.

The president also tackled a number of issues in his address, asking the regional body to help Somalia push for the lifting of the arms embargo. "He urged IGAD to support the lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia and advocated for investments based on resilience to tackle climate change and protect livelihoods," state media reported.

IGAD has been at the forefront of pushing for development and security in the Horn of Africa region. Somalia has emphasized recently that it has enough troops who can replace the outgoing ATMIS soldiers with the entire team set to completely withdraw by the end of December 2024. 

GAROWE ONLINE