Major foreigner backers of the of Somalia have urged the Horn of Africa nation to hasten the transformation of the graft-ridden force into a more capable one that can fight al Shabaab on all fronts. The words were echoed at a donor summit in Brussel, Germany that was in reference to previous reports from both AU and UN peacekeepers stationed in Somalia.
Somali National Army (SNA) has been termed as a fragile force with extremely weak command and control and comes as AU peacekeepers prepare for their departure in 2020, leaving the local military in charge of Somalia’s security.
Joshua Meservey, at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, said, “The SNA has to improve dramatically in a short amount of time as it is falling farther and farther behind schedule on achieving the benchmarks agreed to last year.”
Tensions between the federal government and provincial administrations have escalated this year amid a row involving Gulf nations whose problems have spilled into Somalia. The United Arab Emirates and allies have imposed sanctions on Qatar in the standoff – and both sides have backed rival camps in Somalia with money and investments.
