Mogadishu (Comment) — The Executive Order signed by President Joe Biden dashed any hopes for lifting the arms embargo on Somalia in the foreseeable future. It is also a repudiation of the counterterrorism approach to fighting Al-Shabaab by arming clan militias (Ma’awisley) whose commanders viewed the campaigns as an opportunity to amass as many weapons as possible.
Since clan militias do not have enough firepower to face Al-shabaab, distributing government arms to militia members was the decision made by the Federal Government of Somalia. A large number of weapons fell into the hands clan militias based in the rural areas. This trend precipitated intra-clan imbalance: some sub-clans are perceived to have acquired vehicles, assault rifles, mortars and anti-aircraft guns (known as 36 caliber).
The Executive Order angered Villa Somalia whose narrative that a consensus on the Somali security architecture had been achieved by the Federal Government of Somalia and several Federal Member States has now come apart.
As long as the Federal Government of Somalia relies on ATMIS an incumbent leadership relegates the political legwork to create an inclusive army and security forces to the bottom of priorities’ list by citing resource constraints— that the International Community invests in peacekeeping forces instead of national forces.
The Somali Army is still predominantly dominated by soldiers from one clan. The illegal checkpoints that Somali Army units operate in Middle Shabelle and in other regions near Mogadishu indicate that the security reforms of 2019 only addressed fiscal aspects but failed to address the identity-based imbalance in the make-up of Somali Army divisions based in Banadir, Hiiraan, Lower Shabelle and Middle Shabelle.
Al-shabaab exploits the dysfunctional state of the Somali Army seen by most Somali citizens as rebranded militias of former warlords. Somalia is a long way from having the arms embargo lifted anytime soon. In December 2022 USA was envisaging security partnership with the secessionist administration of Somaliland. In April 2023 America slapped an Executive Order on Somalia, a country whose government is unable to nip threats to U.S. interests in the bud.
© Puntland Post, 2023
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