Italy pledges to help Somalia rebuild its army

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The government of Italy has pledged to help rebuild the Somali National Army [SNA] which is currently being restructured following decades of political turmoil and the Al-Shabaab menace. The country's army is considered the weakest on the continent.

Since the exit of Siad Barre, Somalia is yet to come up with the best practices for armed forces with recruitment challenges emerging during the reign of Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed better known as Farmajo, who lost presidential elections last month.

On Sunday, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Italian Foreign Affairs Minister and International Cooperation Luigi Di Maio where the issue of the African Union Transition Mission [ATMIS] was conclusively discussed according to the state media.

The minister also seized the opportunity to congratulate the new president on his victory and insisted on bettering bilateral ties between Italy and Somalia. The two countries have had a long relationship that dates back to the pre-colonial era.

Although they did not disclose the methodology of rebuilding the national army, there are chances that Italy could be paying for expenses of training and equipping the troops, who play a key role in the Al-Shabaab battle across the Horn of Africa nation.

The two leaders also discussed the best approach toward providing drought relief, reducing debt, and increasing international investment in the country's resources. Somalia is currently battling to clear the international debt.

Di Maio's visit marked the first time an Italian foreign minister visited Somalia in over a decade. The most recent visit was made in 2012 by former Minister Giulio Terzi, an indication that Rome will play a pivotal role during the administration of Hassan Sheikh.

Somali National Army will take charge of security responsibilities once the ATMIS team leaves the country in the next couple of months. Currently, there are close to 22,000 ATMIS soldiers whose number will reduce drastically monthly until the mandate of the mission ends.

GAROWE ONLINE