Stakeholders in Somalia’s security sector held a meeting in Mogadishu on the threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The seminar was held as al Shabaab continues to show their formidability and ability to use IEDs to attack both with the capital and elsewhere in Somalia.
The two-day counter-IED seminar supported by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and the British Army, highlighted the need to build the capacity of Somali security forces to combat the use of IEDs.
IEDs remain a weapon of choice for the al Shabaab who target AMISOM convoys, Somali security forces and civilians traveling along the main supply routes. These attacks hamper movement of people, goods, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The seminar highlighted the need to train the forces before deployment on the dismantling of the IED network within Somalia, and disposal of explosives.
The seminar is a very important annual event in Somalia as it helps equip newly rotated soldiers with the necessary skills to avert and protect themselves and civilians from the threat posed by IEDs. It is especially timely as the AMISOM seeks to bridge the training gap exhibited by the ill-equipped SNA troops ahead of the much-anticipated exit.
