Somali National Army between lost efforts and government corruption

Maat explained the role it has in Africa and the continuing interest in the human rights situation in the African continent, as Maat presented in her intervention at the Human Rights Council during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on terrorism, on the sidelines of the 40th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on the security situation in Somalia. Which is witnessing a clear decline in the Somali government's ability to effectively control the security situation, which threatens its sovereignty. Despite international and regional efforts to support the Somali government to confront these security threats, Somalia has not yet arrived, despite the passage of many years for a unified national army, and all these efforts are wasted, under allegations of wholesale corruption that permeates the government apparatus in general and the security apparatus in particular.

The government's failure to confront terrorist groups was evident in the Al-Shabaab movement’s perpetration of terrorist events that are considered the most dangerous in the world.

Maat also explained that corruption is not confined to the government only, but is spread in the Somali army crudely. As documents sent by the American mission in Somalia showed that the Somali army is immersed in corruption and is unable to provide food, weapons and wages to its soldiers despite receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in support, and this corruption has prompted the United States to stop the aid it provides to the Somali government.

It was pointed out that the police force was also not free from corruption, which led to the Somali companies being unable to protect themselves through the police, but resorting to violent groups or arming themselves against threats.

Finally, the dissipation of efforts and aid provided to Somalia, whether financial or military, led to the Somali National Army remaining unable to stand on its own from facing security threats despite these funds and despite the passage of all those years of support.

In order for Somalia to be able to face security threats, Maat called for building strong security institutions, confronting the extremist ideology of Al-Shabaab, and working on the government’s benefit from multiple financial and military aid to reconstitute a strong institutional army.