Somalia, Pakistan Step Up Talks to Rebuild Somali Air Force

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia and Pakistan have held fresh talks on rebuilding the Somali Air Force, as Mogadishu seeks to strengthen its military capabilities and develop a security force able to take on greater responsibility for the country’s security.

Somali Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi met Pakistan’s ambassador to Somalia, Aqsa Nawaz, in Mogadishu, with officials from both countries discussing military training, capacity building and the implementation of existing defence agreements.

The meeting was also attended by Somali Air Force Commander Brigadier General Abdirizack Mahmoud Haji and Pakistan’s Defence Attaché, Colonel Mohammed Inam Khattak.

The development of the Somali Air Force was among the main issues discussed, alongside broader security cooperation and efforts to counter the militant group Al-Shabab.

The talks come only weeks after a high-level Somali delegation led by Mr Fiqi visited Pakistan, where it held meetings with the country’s army, navy and air force chiefs.

During that visit, Pakistan said it would support closer military-to-military relations with Somalia, including training and capacity-building programmes.

Somalia’s air force was once a significant component of the country’s armed forces, but decades of conflict severely damaged military institutions and infrastructure.

The government has since been working to rebuild the armed forces, with training and institutional development forming an important part of the effort.

For Somalia, developing an effective air capability could improve the military’s ability to monitor large and difficult-to-reach areas of the country and provide transport and logistical support to forces operating on the ground.

But rebuilding an air force involves more than acquiring aircraft. It requires trained pilots and technicians, maintenance facilities, air bases, logistics systems and a sustainable funding structure.

Pakistan’s air force has previously offered institutional support and training to Somalia. During the Somali delegation’s recent visit to Islamabad, Pakistan’s air chief highlighted his country’s experience in training, professional exchanges and developing indigenous aviation capabilities.

SECURITY PARTNERSHIP

The discussions are part of a broader expansion of defence relations between Somalia and Pakistan.

On 4 August, the two countries signed a defence cooperation memorandum covering areas including military training, counterterrorism and the exchange of military expertise.

The agreement has been followed by a series of high-level military contacts, including talks involving Pakistan’s army, navy and air force leadership.

For Somalia, the relationship comes at a time when the government is seeking to strengthen its security institutions and reduce its dependence on foreign forces as responsibility for national security increasingly shifts towards Somali forces.

Al-Shabab remains a major security challenge, particularly in parts of central and southern Somalia, despite continued government and international efforts to weaken the group.

Pakistan’s interest in closer cooperation also reflects Somalia’s strategic position on the Horn of Africa. The country has a long coastline along the Indian Ocean and sits close to the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s important maritime corridors.

The two sides have therefore been discussing not only military training but also wider security and maritime cooperation.

For Mogadishu, however, the immediate challenge is turning agreements and training programmes into sustainable national capabilities.

The latest meeting in Mogadishu suggests that rebuilding the Somali Air Force is becoming an increasingly important part of that longer-term effort.