(Mogadishu, 12 April, 2011)-Somali Defense Minister, Abdihakim Mohamud Haji Fiqi, has congratulated Somali National Army on the 51st anniversary of its establishment and said that recent gains in the battle against extremist insurgents were a vindication of government reforms geared at helping the military to recapture its former glory.
The Somali National Army was established on April 12, 1960 under the command of the late General Da’ud Abdulle Hirsi, a famous Somali national hero. In recent weeks, it has achieved significant successes against the Al Qaida-linked extremists in the Gedo, Bakol and Lower Jubba regions as well as in the capital Mogadishu.
The Defense Minister paid tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Somali troops, noting that reforms instituted by the government were a critical part of the military effort to win liberate the country. “Our army used to be one of the best African forces in the last century. Some of the people who made that possible are still alive and can also help win that back,” he said.
“Our biggest priority is to bring back the law and order to the country. We need to continue reforming our armed forces and improving its capacity by recruiting graduates from the high schools and universities,” he said.
He added that in the past months, the government had ensured that soldiers received their salaries regularly and vowed that this would continue to be the case. “We will also continue to give special care to the wounded and to take care of the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the course of their duties,” he added. In February, the government refurbished and reopened the Martini Hospital in Mogadishu for both military and civilian use.
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