Somalia army obtains weapons as Al-Shabaab war intensifies

FILE: Somali Army troops. Taken June 23, 2021

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia received sophisticated weapons amid calls to drop the arms embargo, a senior official has confirmed, with the fight against Al-Shabaab militants spreading across the country, following help from international partners and local militia.

Hussein Sheikh Ali, the National Security Advisor in the presidency, told Voice of America that the government has bought modern weapons apart from donations from friendly states, adding that the backup will assist in crushing Al-Shabaab militants across the country.

Some of the weapons donated and, or bought include 120mm mortars, Zu-23 anti-aircraft guns, and helicopters. The helicopters, he said, are currently used for evacuation of casualties in battlefronts besides taking part in combats by the country's special forces.

For decades, Somalia has been under United Nations arms embargo, which restricted the government’s ability to buy or obtain heavy weapons. However, the country hopes that the United Nations will lift the embargo following spirited campaigns with support from several international partners.

According to the official, the new weapons will trigger a huge difference in the Al-Shabaab war, given that the army had been using archaic weapons to stage a fight against Al-Shabaab. The boost comes at the time the military is focused on activating the second phase of operations against Al-Shabaab.

This coming December, he added, there will be an international donor conference in New York in December to raise funds for Somalia's security sector. The sector has struggled for the last three decades, cutting across the civil war and now the Al-Shabaab menace which directly affects service delivery.

He said six countries -- the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, as well as the European Union -- will co-sponsor the conference with Somalia according to the Voice of America. The United States is a major sponsor of Somalia's quest for peace and stability.

The second phase of operations against Al-Shabaab will focus on Jubaland and Southwest states, but several soldiers have been. redeployed to Galmadug and HirShabelle states to comb the area following a rather successful first phase. Over 3,000 militants were killed in the first phase, officials said.

GAROWE ONLINE