Somali president calls for enhanced coordination between AMISOM and Somali forces

Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called for enhanced coordination between AMISOM and Somali forces to better execute security operations in the country.

President Mohamud who received AMISOM Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Osman Soubagleh and SNA Chief of Defence Forces, Mohamed Aden Ahmed at the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu has emphasized the need to support stabilization of the newly recovered towns, especially clearing access routes to facilitate free movement of people and goods.

Mohamud thanked AMISOM for the sacrifice and commitment towards supporting the people of Somalia.

He spoke of the extensive progress made so far, with massive security gains made, which can be built on to ensure stability in the country.

The President noted that improving the security of the country and institutional building for the Somali National Army and Somali Police Force both at national level and regional level are key priorities for government, calling for more support towards empowering them to grow into strong bodies capable of defending the country.

AMISOM and SNA have recently carried out attacks on Al-Shabaab bases in a bid to retrieve Al-Shabaab held areas.

Al Shabaab was pushed out of Mogadishu by African Union peacekeeping forces in 2011. But it has remained a potent threat in Somalia, launching frequent attacks aimed at overthrowing the Western-backed government.

In the most recent attacks, Al-Shabaab late last month used vehicle-borne suicide bombers to launch assaults on an AMISOM base and the headquarters of Police’s Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) both in Mogadishu.

The attacks left at least 23 people dead.