Wednesday January 4, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre chaired a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the security situation in the country and the arms embargo on Somalia.
Top security officials, including the intelligence chief Mahad Mohamed Salad, and military and police commanders attended the meeting. They were briefed on the liberation operations, which have achieved great success in liberating villages, especially in Galgaduud, Hiraan and Middle Shabelle regions.
A statement from the meeting said that over 2,000 al-Shabab militants were killed in the ongoing offensive against al-Shabab over the last four months.
Prime Minister Barre said his government is committed to eliminating the Al Shabaab, adding that time was running out for the militants as the offensive is preparing to open more fronts.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud delivered a New Year's address earlier this week, promising to strengthen and equip the National Army Forces to accelerate the ongoing offensive against Al Shabaab in central and southern Somalia.
Hamza Abdi Barre added that the government would make an effort to succeed in removing the arms embargo on Somalia.
The meeting proposed the establishment of a committee consisting of two levels, namely an executive committee and a technical committee, that will work on implementing the planned targets to ensure that the arms embargo is completely lifted within a year.
During the meeting, the bills for the Security and National Intelligence Agency and the Immigration and Nationality Agency of Somalia were discussed.