The President of the Federal Government of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has said that the time has come for Somalia to fully assume responsibility for the country’s security, after years of receiving support from the international community and friendly countries.
President Hassan Sheikh said that Somalia has long benefited from international support, but it is now important for the country to move to a new stage where it can rely on its own security capabilities.
“Our time has come, when we should take responsibility,” said Hassan Sheikh, noting that Somalia will one day be grateful to the troops and countries that have provided support.
He also mentioned the foreign troops in Somalia, saying that the soldiers who support the country’s security deserve to be honored when their time comes, while remembering the soldiers who died defending and liberating Somalia.
The President, on the other hand, congratulated the Somali armed forces, saying that the forces now have a new power that cannot be underestimated.
He said that the troops have undergone long-term training, and have acquired various specializations beyond the training in Somalia.
“You have gained a strength that cannot be underestimated,” said the president, calling on the troops to continue their efforts, so that the results of the training and the development of the troops can be felt throughout the country.
Hassan Sheikh told the troops that their responsibility includes defending the country, the people, the statehood and the Constitution of Somalia.
The president’s statement comes at a time when Somalia is making efforts to strengthen the national army and the government’s security capabilities, with the aim of largely transferring responsibility for the country’s security to the Somali forces.
The Somali president’s statement comes as the AUSSOM peacekeeping mission in Somalia faces a lack of funding, amid fears that the mission will cease if international partners, led by the United States, stop supporting it.
