Somalia

Somalia receives military aid from Egypt amid tensions

Africa /

Somalia received a large consignment of military equipment on Monday from Egypt amid tensions with a breakaway territory of the East African country.  An Egyptian military cargo ship docked at the port of Mogadishu accompanied by a small warship which provided escort and security. The shipment is the largest since the UN arms embargo was lifted last December. The military aid included heavy artillery and anti-tank weapons, according to local media. The Somali government has not explicitly confirmed or denied the military aid, but Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, who visited Mogadishu’s seaport on Monday, thanked Egypt. “Somalia has passed the stage where they were dictated to and awaited the affirmation of others on who it will engage with,” Nur said in a brief statement on X. He added that Mogadishu knows its “own interests, and we will choose between our allies and our enemies.” The military supplies come amid tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia over Addis Ababa’s sea access deal with Somalia’s breakaway territory of Somaliland. The region has expressed grave concern over the supply of heavy weapons to Somalia by Egypt, which it said jeopardizes the security of a region already facing complex security challenges. It said the unchecked proliferation of arms in an already fragile environment heightens the risk of an arms race, with various factions likely seeking to acquire their own stockpiles to safeguard their interests.

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Somalia strengthens security training to combat IED threat

Africa /

As Somalia progresses toward self-reliance and sustainability in national security, the threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) remains significant. Over the past year, approximately 600 IEDs have caused around 1,500 casualties, severely impacting local communities and national armed forces. The Somali National Army (SNA), supported by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), is leading efforts to combat this persistent IED threat. “The seriousness of this threat is well understood here. The primary targets are your fellow SNA soldiers. It is vital that we find a solution,” stated James Swan, the UN Acting Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, during the launch of a month-long ‘train-the-trainer’ course aimed at enhancing the SNA’s capabilities in countering IEDs. Many attendees at the training have firsthand experience of the dangers faced by soldiers. “We faced numerous threats, including enemy blockades and remote-controlled IEDs, leading to the loss of many comrades,” recalled Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Mohamud Awale, reflecting on his operational experience in the Hiraan and Galgaduud regions. Colonel Faisal Ali Noor shared his haunting memories of IED incidents: “At times, IEDs detonated while we were digging, resulting in casualties. Our limited knowledge even led us to use fire to attempt to defuse them, which caused more fatalities.” The statistics are alarming: in 2023 alone, the SNA reported 378 deaths and 451 injuries due to IEDs, underscoring the ongoing risks faced by both military personnel and civilians. As Somalia strives to take full responsibility for its security, training initiatives like the one beginning today in Mogadishu aim to better equip national forces through comprehensive training, mentoring, and hands-on experience.

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