Mogadishu, (SONNA) – The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, H.E Daud Aweis Jama, accompanied by the Representative of the African Union and the head of the ATMIS mission in Somalia, Mohamed El-amine Souef, who held a press conference in Mogadishu, spoke about the weekly progress of the government, the situation of the country and the achievements.
The most important points are detailed below:-
1- The military offensive against the Kharijites Al Shabab terrorists continues in several parts of the country , with the Somali National Army registering victories of liberating new areas and defeating the enemy. On the other hand some members of Al Shabab terrorists have complied with the government call to surrender. A number of terrorists have now surrendered to the government in HirShabelle, Galmudug and South West. The surrendered terrorists will go through a rehabilitation process before being allowed to rejoin the society.
2- The FrontLine States Summit held in Mogadishu under the Chairmanship of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud agreed to form a cooperation the fight against the terrorists and lobby for Somalia to get the arms embargo lifted. The summit was attended by the Presidents of Djibouti and Kenya, Ismail Omar Gelle and William Ruto, and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali.
3- The Federal Parliament of Somalia has passed the national act of establishing National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). 144 MPs voted for the new law, while 3 abstained and one voted NO. The act was crucial to improve and describe in details the work of the agency in terms of responsibility, transparency and trust. NISA is a vital agency for intelligence gathering, security and plays a key role in the fight against Al Shabab. The law will now be submitted to the Upper House for approval before its signed by the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia to become an official law. Also , the Somali Cabinet has approved a military cooperation deal between Federal Republic of Somalia and the United Arab Emirates. Somalia will benefit from this agreement by getting thousands of its troops trained, who will be active in the liberation and the stability of the country. The government would also like to announce that a huge progress has been made in weakening the financial strength of Al Shabab. We thank the people for supporting the government. We urge the people to avoid cooperating with the terrorists in any means.
4- The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has once again called the cessation of hostility in Laas Caanood where Somaliland forces and local people have been in engaged in military confrontation. The President said the problem in Laas Caanood is a political crisis that needs a political solution, and not a military solution. He called the will of the people of Laas Caanood to be respected and urged both parties to start dialogue to end the violence and find a political solution. The President added that he is ready to facilitate the talks in order to prevent more bloodshed in Laas Caanood.
5- . The second round of talks among the political stakeholders of South West ended successfully in Baydhabo with the attendance of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The President commended the participants for showing maturity to find a peaceful solution to their political differences. The agreement is in the interest of the local people , as well as a boost to the offensive against the terrorist group of Al Shabab. The main provision in the agreement is the date of the election of South West State that will take place in January 2024.
6- Somalia is expected to join the East African Community and becomes the eight member of the bloc this year. The verification process of Somalia’s readiness to join the body ended successfully in Mogadishu and the results will be tabled at the next summit of the EAC to make the final decision. The verification team is optimistic after the process in Mogadishu, saying the country was well prepared to become a full member of EAC.
7- The Minister of Interior, Federal Affairs and Recociliation Ahmed Moalim Fiqi has launched the task force of elections. The Task Force will advise on how best to hold free and fair elections in the country to avoide obstacles that can endanger the national stability.
8- The FGS has launched a verification process of civil servants. The process is aimed to boost transparency and accountability. The process is being run by the Ministry of Labour and the National Commission of Civil Servants.
9- The Ministry of Education has launched a process of recruiting primary school teachers. About 3000 teachers will be recruited in this process aimed to provide education to thousands of Somali children, plus opening of new schools across the country.
