Mogadishu's security stable, says Somalia PM

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's capital Mogadishu is witnessing relative calm and stability, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has acknowledged, while lauding security teams that have been keeping surveillance in the city, which was once a stronghold of the Al-Shabaab.

At Hiil-Weyne military base, Barre said security teams had managed to restore calmness, adding that the city now rivals many others across the world. The military has been instrumental in the restoration of peace within the Horn of Africa nation.

The road connecting Mogadishu and Bal'ad, he added, has since been secured following the presence of the military teams drawn from the Somali National Army [SNA]. Initially, Al-Shabaab was in total control of the busy road, harassing motorists in the process.

"Today, Mogadishu's security is on par with other capitals in the world, and the army has eliminated everything that posed a problem to the security and stability of the capital," said Barre, who is also the head of government of the federal republic of Somalia.

"I acknowledged the blood you sacrificed for your country, especially the capital. I thank you for changing the face of Mogadishu. The day you arrived was the last day that the capital faced insecurity," he said.

During his trip to the military camp, Barre also held a meeting while in the Hiil-Weyne, discussing the acceleration of security in the capital with the security agencies and the Banadir Regional Administration. Banadir District has generally witnessed relative stability.

Somalia has been confronting Al-Shabaab militants for the last 16 years but there is huge hope that the militants will be defeated in due course. Currently, the military is waging operations against the Al-Shabaab across all fronts, which have somehow yielded tremendous progress.

GAROWE ONLINE