No more weapons in private hands in Mogadishu, President Mohamud declares

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has declared a ban on weapons and military-grade trucks from Mogadishu in a move to bolster security in the city.

Speaking during Friday prayers in Mogadishu, President Mohamud warned businessmen and politicians against the importation and use of weapons in the city.

“We are imposing a strict ban on carrying guns in the streets of Mogadishu. One cannot justify having machine guns mounted on vehicles and rocket-propelled grenades in the streets, for protection from a hiding al-Shabab militant armed with a pistol,” President Mohamud said.

The president said his administration will go for those who bring weapons into the city. “No businessman can bring any kind of military gear into the country, let alone weapons. The traders cannot even import Abdi Bile vehicles in the country,” the president said.

Abdi Bile is a common term to refer to a pick-up truck which is normally mounted with machine guns. The vehicles are commonly used by Somali security forces, private security companies and militias.

The Somali government has in the past unsuccessfully fought weapons in private hands in Mogadishu.