The United States (U.S) donated weapons, vehicles, medical supplies and other equipment worth about $9 million to support Somali National Army (SNA) counterterrorism operations. The donation handover ceremony on January 8. was attended by Somalia Minister of Defense Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama and U.S. Ambassador Larry André.
Apart from heavy weapons, equipment included support and construction vehicles, explosive ordinance disposal kits, medical supplies, and maintenance equipment for vehicles and weapons. Most of the supplies are already on their way to Hishabelle and Galmudug States to support SNA troops combat Al-Shabaab increased menace.
U.S. Ambassador André lauded SNA for their unrelenting battle against the enemy in an attempt to stabilize the country that has been battling insurgency for close to two decades. The Ambassador underscored of the successes achieved by SNA with support of partner forces in their historic fights to liberate Somali communities suffering under Al-Shabaab. Ambassador André reaffirmed U.S commitment in supporting the Somali-led fight against terror.
On his part, the Minister of Defense Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama thanked the United States, for their continued support to Somalia’s peacebuilding process and the support for the fight against terrorism. He noted that this support comes at a critical time for SNA, boost their capabilities to combat Al-Shabaab. The Somalia Defense Minister was joined by Chief of Defense Forces Brigadier General Odowaa Yusuf Rageh.
The weapons will support SNA-Danab contingents, including military units currently participating in operations in Hirshabelle and Galmudug. The weapons will provide a significant increase in the lethality and mobility of the SNA-Danab units participating in these operations.
The weapons, including light and heavy machine guns, were purchased with U.S. Department of Defense funding. They are marked and registered pursuant to the Federal Government of Somalia’s Weapons and Ammunition Management policy, designed to account for and control weapons within the Somali security forces and weapons captured on the battlefield. Notification to the UN Security Council is conducted by the Federal Government of Somalia in close coordination with the Office of Security Cooperation of U.S. Embassy Mogadishu in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
