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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sat Oct 30 2010 - 05:50:16 EDT
Somali forces sell weapons to Islamists
Saturday, 30 October 2010 - 09:55 <http://www.africanews.com/site/list_message/31431#m31431>
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Muhyadin Ahmed Roble, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
A former commander in the Somali military has admitted that government soldiers sell arms to insurgents seeking to topple western backed government. A former Chief of Staff of Somalia's Military, major general Yusuf Hussein Osman, says unpaid soldiers offered to sell their guns and ammunition to the enemy
Mr. Osman who served as the chief of staff in 2009 said the soldiers are not being paid their $100 monthly wage a long period.
“The biggest source for rebels’ arms is government forces. Unpaid soldiers get money from rebels and then hand to their arms”, said Maj.General Osman in an exclusive interview with AfricaNews.
Those who sell their guns to Islamist insurgents are part of hundred of Somali soldiers trained with U.S. and EU funds in the neighbouring countries. The soldiers were trained in Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda and Sudan.
Only United States spent $6.8 million to train almost 2,100 Somali soldiers in Djibouti and Uganda over the past year.
The European Union also paid €5 million ($6 million) for the training 2,000 Somali forces in Uganda.
He said soldiers’ camps are ghastly, provided with no healthcare, and often live without food. He added some of soldiers are in very malnutrition situation.
“A soldier needs to get what he is dying. He has to get money. If you didn’t give salary three months or more than, he has to look for a way to feed his family”, said Maj. General Osman.
Local Human rights groups accused uniformed and plain-clothes Somali force for looting civilians at their controlled areas. The force also frequently steals civilians’ mobile phones and other valuables at gunpoint.
Mr. Osman blamed Somali officials for corrupting soldiers’ funds and not be serious for building and establishing Somali strong forces.
He especially accused a resigned Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid and his ministers for disabling the effort to rebuild the tattered Somali military.
“The president is very committed to rebuild Somali military but the prime minister (resigned after this interview) is not helping the issue. He is busy with other issues”, Mr. Osman who is in Nairobi said.
The chief of staff who resigned at the end of last year says the cabinet is corrupted people who are out to enrich themselves. However, Somali information minister Abdirahman Omar Osman denied the allegations as total fabrication.
“Government manages funds meant for the military very well. And it’s improper for us to steal soldiers’ salary so the allegation is a big lie. We cannot do that”, Omar told AfricaNews by phone from Mogadishu.
He also denied that government soldiers sell their weapon to Islamists. “It is not true. Our soldiers are braves who stop Al-shabaab. Even if they miss salary, they could not sell their arms to their enemies. Al-shabaab tried to buy weapons from soldiers but they do not accept”.
Last month angry Somali forces with their vehicles closed main roads in Mogadishu as they were demanding for salaries.
The soldiers fired civilians and public car those using streets in the area controlled by Somali force. They also closed streets into the presidential palace, airport and other important place in the capital.
They fired guns into sky, shouting “we need our salary”. Those who made the demonstration were among soldiers trained in Djibouti, Sudan and Uganda.
The demonstration ended on Tuesday after Somali officials promised immediate payment. But Major General Osman says the only tax from seaport can buy strong force with their full equipment.
“If they manage, the tax from seaport can be enough to more than 6,000 soldiers with their communications, uniforms and vehicles. But they are not ready to do so. They are only out to satisfy selfish interests”.
Former Somali Prime minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmake said before his resignation that one the main challenge of Somali government faces is payments for Somali soldiers.
The PM said international donors gave government less than 5million to buy Somali forces but Major general Yusuf Hussein Osman had said the fund was not managed well.
He left the military because he says he could not lead disappointed soldiers. Maj. General Osman said a few deserted soldiers joined rebels, but most of them hand to their arms then returned to normal life.
Somalia's besieged U.N.-backed government holds only a few blocks of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, while Islamic insurgents control the rest of the city and most of the country.
The turmoil — the lawless East African nation's proximity to Yemen, where Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula is based — has fed fears that Somalia could be used to launch attacks on neighbours and western Countries..
The country’s military who were in the fourth powerful military in Africa, behind South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria had collapsed in 1991 after Somali warlords overthrew long time military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
Since that year, there are efforts to re-establish a regular armed force by a re-constituted Somali government.
The biggest effort to rebuild the Somali national army in two decades of war was made during recent years for recruiting new soldiers.
But Major general Yusuf Hussein Osman said those trained abroad brought no development in the country.
“They learnt how to fight but they don’t what they are fighting for. A soldier needs to wash and clean his mind with water of patriotism. So Somali officers have to do that job and train them in the country. You must give their chance”, he advised AU and international donors.
He says sometimes it is hard to understand each other especially in the mission because of the difference in training. There are safe places to train forces in country such as Mogadishu, Puntland or even Somaliland, according to Osman.
“IGAD must think to prepare Somali forces that can replace them. If AMISOM stay with us even more than 20 years it means for nothing to us. But if they train Somali forces, it makes a sense”, said former chief of Staff referring that AMISOM gives no attention to the Somali army.
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