Somalia army praised for crushing Al-Shabaab

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Contributions made by the Somalia National Army [SNA] cannot be taken for granted, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has noted, adding that their continued sacrifice for the people is "invaluable" and will be "cherished" by generations to come.

With the strength of the force still minimal compared to the current threat the country is facing, Somalia has reached out to friendly nations to train and equip more forces who can protect the territorial integrity of the country besides crushing violent extremists, particularly the Al-Shabaab group.

On the 63rd anniversary of the SNA force, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud noted their contributions, arguing that the country will in return invest more in the soldiers to secure the federal republic of Somalia. The country is projected to be having about 30,000 soldiers.

“It is a day we do not celebrate with joy and guards marching but with the brave soldiers spilling their blood for their people and country,” he said, adding that the government will do what it takes to empower the military in a bid to boost security for all Somalis.

His sentiments were echoed by Minister of Defense Abdikadir Mohamed Nur who applauded the team for "incredible" contributions towards securing Somalia. The minister said the spirit of patriotism manifested from the group would eventually enable the country to defeat Al-Shabaab.

“My heartfelt wishes to SNA Force for the 63rd anniversary since it was established. Our SNAF has stood firm over the years to defend the Somali people and the territorial integrity of our nation," Minister Abdikadir Mohamed Nur.

“I thank the Somali people for standing with SNAforce as they continue to fight. We applaud the SNA force as they continue to fulfill their duties and May Allah be with them as they serve their people and Nation. Together we will win this war against terrorism.”

Besides the US and Turkey, Somalia has embarked on training soldiers in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Uganda. Last month, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud attended the first graduation ceremony of 3,000 soldiers trained in Uganda who have since been deployed across the country to help in the Al-Shabaab crackdown.

The commemoration comes at the time the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] announced that over 3,500 soldiers have been killed since the mission first came to Somalia in 2007. ATMIS is set to leave the country upon implementation of the Somali Transition Plan [STP] in about 24 months and will hand over security responsibilities to SNA.

GAROWE ONLINE