Somalia says it needs Int'l support more than ever in building strong Force
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Staff Reporter Garowe Online
- Posted On 13-12-2023, 08:03AM
MOGADISHU, Somalia - President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says Somalia needs the help of the international community "more than ever" to build a strong and dependable Somali National Army [SNA] which should take over security responsibilities in the country.
For Somalia to stabilize, he said, support from international partners is crucial to help in building “efficient, effective, and accountable” security forces. The president was speaking in New York during a meeting bringing together many stakeholders.
“It’s crucial now more than ever before for the international community to support Somalia in building required capabilities,” he said while noting the immense contribution by members of the international community in capacity building of the SNA forces.
For this process to be successful, he added, the country will invest in immediate priorities of generating sufficient, trained, and equipped security forces to meet the demands of offensive operations and holding territories liberated.
The second phase of this journey, he said, will mainly focus on building capabilities, and sustaining gains, responding to evolving threats transferring responsibilities from the military to the police. The country is largely guarded by the army.
Further, he said, his administration will continue to "build and expand" the capability of the security sector to maritime and air and with greater focus on police and justice. He emphasized his threat to “eliminate” al-Shabaab from Somalia. The plan is to defeat al-Shabaab “once and for all.”
The Somali government has a very clear plan to defeat Al-Shabaab militarily now, he said. Currently, the army with the help of the US Africa Command and African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] is involved in fighting al-Shabaab across the country.
Ideologically it may continue sometime, but we want to take al-Shabaab to a level where they are not a threat anymore to Somalia and our neighboring countries, he added.
In the Somalia plan, there are 30,000 land forces [the number of soldiers currently ready are now almost close to that number, excluding air force and navy]; 40,000 police forces, and 8,500 custodial corps - according to National Security Advisor Hussein Sheikh Ali, VOA notes.
The president also talked of the ongoing withdrawal of ATMIS troops from the country, arguing that ongoing exit manifests that the country is slowly taking shape in taking its security responsibilities once the peacekeepers leave completely.
“The drawdown of ATMIS we are witnessing today is a testament to the progress we have made together in building a more stable Somalia with a stronger security apparatus working towards full security responsibilities to Somali forces.”
By the end of December 31st, it is anticipated that over 5,000 peacekeepers would have left the country, given that 2,000 had left by June 2023. Recently, the UN Security Council withdrew the arms embargo imposed on Somalia, allowing the country to purchase weapons without restrictions.
GAROWE ONLINE
