AU Mission Welcomes Somalia’s New National Defence Committee

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU:The African Union–backed security mission in Somalia has welcomed the federal government’s launch of a National Defence Committee, a move seen as strengthening Somali-led oversight and coordination of the country’s security sector.

The committee is expected to serve as a central body for guiding defence and national security policy, improving coordination among security institutions and reinforcing accountability as Somalia assumes greater responsibility for its own defence.

El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Coordination Committee and head of the AUSSOM mission, said the initiative signalled growing national ownership of the defence sector and greater political cohesion in security decision-making.

The committee, chaired by Defence Minister Ahmed Macallin Fiqi, brings together senior civilian and military leaders, including the national security adviser, heads of the army and police, interior ministry officials and intelligence chiefs, to align strategy, operations and reforms.

The government said the body would help close coordination gaps, streamline command structures and ensure security operations are guided by unified national priorities, a key requirement as international forces gradually draw down.

Somalia has been restructuring its security architecture as part of a broader transition towards Somali-led defence and long-term stability, with authorities saying stronger governance mechanisms are critical to sustaining recent security gains.