Somali government and AMISOM officials visit Marka

A delegation from the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on Sunday visited Southern Somalia’s third-largest port of Marka.

A part of the town was under the control of Al-Shabaab fighters who seized after the withdrawal of SNA soldiers.

“Today AMISOM and SNA are visiting Marka with government officials. The purpose of the visit is to relate AMISOM forces with the people of Ceel Bur and understand the problems of the people regarding humanitarian aid for example water, health and food; and to assess the needs for more support to the people”said SNA officer who sought anonymity because he was not authorized to talk the media.

The officials encouraged the residents to participate in the reconstruction of the region as the Federal Government support restoration of security and social services.

Marka is a coastal town in Lower Shabelle region, located about 100km from Mogadishu and is a strategic town captured from Al-Shabaab in 2012.

Despite losing key strongholds, Al-*Shabaab fighters have retaken strings of towns and villages across the country, raising concerns of militants’ searing capabilities.