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The Somali armed forces are taking steps to gradually take over security responsibilities from regional armies stationed in the country, Somali defence officials told Sabahi.

Abdirashid Ibrahim, director of administration at the Ministry of Defence, told Sabahi that the ministry is putting in place a plan to unite the armed forces according to recommendations from the Joint Security Committee (JSC) in Somalia.

During its most recent meeting in Mogadishu on May 9th, the JSC called for uniting Somali forces fighting al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda in the country.

The JSC, which meets to discuss security developments in Somalia about once every two months, comprises representatives from the United Nations, the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Somali Transitional Federal Government, AMISOM, the Arab League and other international parties concerned with Somalia.

"The Ministry of Defence is working to equip and prepare the armed forces to take over maintaining security in the country, because the regional forces currently in the country will, in the end, leave. When that happens, the responsibility rests on our shoulders," Ibrahim said. "This new plan includes placing the armed forces under the leadership of the Somali Ministry of Defence so that the central military leadership can guide and direct the armed forces."

Ibrahim said the process of rebuilding the Somali armed forces has gone through several stages and they can now take responsibility for maintaining security in the country.

"The forces are not only trained on how to use weapons and combat [tactics], but are also trained on being aware of the political culture, adhering to the principles of international human rights and applying criteria regarding the laws of war in conflict areas such as Somalia," Ibrahim said. "This is all for the sake of reinforcing the protection of civilians."

Ibrahim said the Somali forces are being trained at home and in neighbouring countries with support from the European Union. Last week, 603 Somali soldiers completed a six-month military training programme in Uganda. According to military officials, 3,000 more Somali soldiers and officers will be trained in Uganda under the supervision of military trainers from the European Union.

Restructuring the army around government priorities

Somali Minister of Defence Hussein Arab Isse said the government has focused efforts on ensuring the national army is capable of taking over responsibility for securing the country.

"The Somali government gives priority and takes special interest in rebuilding the national army and making sure that salaries of members of the armed forces are paid," Isse told journalists after the JSC meeting.

Isse said it is impossible to liberate the country and maintain security without establishing a strong national army that can take control of security in the country.

"Our goal is to establish peace in Somalia and to eliminate al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda. The most important step for us is to achieve this goal," he said. "We have liberated the capital, Mogadishu, but that does not make us complacent. We will continue fighting until we crush all terrorists."

Isse said Somali forces, supported by the allied forces, have made significant progress in the war on al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda, adding that al-Shabaab is on the verge of defeat and has started targeting civilians after national forces dealt the group severe blows.

"Since we expelled the al-Shabaab fighters from the capital last year, al-Shabaab fighters have started targeting civilians," Isse said. He called on Somalis to work with the security forces to prevent further aggressions against civilians.

Abdullahi Malin, an officer in the Somali army, said equipping the Somali forces will lead to better domestic security.

"In the event that the Somali army is adequately equipped, it will be in a better position to deal with the security situation than foreign forces," he told Sabahi. "The Somali forces need access to the same weapons and equipment that the foreign forces have. If we have the necessary equipment, we are then more capable of shouldering all security responsibilities than are foreign forces."

Lifting the arms embargo

Security analysts called for lifting the arms embargo imposed on Somalia to allow the transitional government to rebuild and equip the armed forces.

"The Somali armed forces are working under harsh conditions due to a shortage in funds and scarcity of weapons," Colonel Abdishakur Ahmed told Sabahi. "The Somali government needs to purchase modern weaponry that will enable it to crush al-Shabaab and elements of al-Qaeda. This cannot happen if the weapons embargo on Somalia continues."

Earlier this year, shortly after al-Shabaab announced its union with al-Qaeda, Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed called on the United Nations and the international community to lift the arms embargo imposed on Somalia since 1992. The government said lifting the arms embargo would able it to equip its forces to face dangers posed by the terrorist group.

On Tuesday, Ahmed renewed his demands to lift the arms embargo in a speech delivered in front of the United Nations Security Council, which held a special session to discuss the situation in Somalia.

Ahmed pledged to the Security Council that his government would make every effort to ensure that weapons do not fall into the hands of terrorist groups. "We need to equip our armed forces and without weapons, the Somali government will be unable to defeat al-Qaeda, to maintain security and to build capacity of our police force and army as is necessary," he said.