By: Yumoha Pasha
Somalilandsun – The over 20,000 African Union Mission in Somalia strong force is concerned by increased instances of insecurity in the country posed by Improvised Exploding Devices-IEDs.
Similarly the force helping the Mogadishu based federal government fight Al-Shabaab militants wants to deprive the Islamists group of recruits through an all encompassing approach in countering radicalization.
The IED concerned was raised by The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in Mogadishu during closure of a three-day seminar organized to raise awareness of the IED situation in Somalia, which ended Thursday with participants pooled from AMISOM and Somali Police Force (SPF)
“I have engaged partners and friends on the necessities to enhance counter IED defeat measures. This is because some of the Troop Contributing Countries have limited capabilities that are inadequate to defeat the use of IEDs,” AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support and Logistics, Nakibus Lakara, said the closing ceremony of the workshop.
The appeal Wants AMISON and the SPF to be equipped with technical expertise and equipment to help counter the use of IED’s which have become the weapon of choice of the militant group Al-Shabaab. Continue reading AMISOM calls for aid to counter use of IEDs in Somalia
Similarly the AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has called on community members and youth to cooperate with police to fight radicalization and enhance peace and stability in the Horn of Africa nation.
“Our aim is to interact and encourage community members to share information with the police and encourage collaboration in fighting crime,” AMISOM Chief Inspector John Marete told a community sensitization meeting on countering violent extremism in Beletweyne town Adding that that terrorism is the greatest threat to the Somali government’s efforts toward peace and stability, and keeping communities safe is the responsibility of both security agencies and the local residents the AMISOM chief called for joint efforts to fight youth radicalization in Somalia
These concerns by the Continental mission that has enabled the SFG in Mogadishu maintain a semblance of authority comes in the heels of intensified attacks by Al-shabaab perceived by watchers as an attempt to derail presidential and parliamentary elections slated for the war torn country next month.
