By Daniel Ooko NAIROBI, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) — Former Somali senior military officers who concluded a week-long meeting in the United States have called on the transitional government of Somalia to restructure security forces to enable it to deal with extremism and piracy in the country.
A communiqué from the UN Political Office for Somalia said on Tuesday that the meeting held under the auspices of the Somali Ministry of Defense also called for the establishment of appropriate security architecture and a national Somali force.
The participants called on the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to consider measures aiming at engaging and involving the former senior military, police, as well as noncommissioned officers in the country’s security sector development.
“The participants encouraged the UN and the entire international community to support the government’s efforts in this endeavor,” read the communiqué issued following the meeting held in Washington from August 1 to 5.
The UN-backed meeting which followed a preparatory forum in June brought together former high ranking officers from the military, police, custodial and intelligence services for in-depth discussions on both the historical background of the Somali security forces, and on the re-establishment and the strengthening of the capacity of the security sector institutions in Somalia.
The conference was co-chaired by Somali Minister of Defense Mohamed Abdi Mahamed “Ghandi” and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah and also attended by the African Union.
“Drawing extensively on their experience, the former senior military and police officers assessed the strengths and limitations of the former Somali National security forces,” the statement said.
They outlined the key factors behind the collapse of the country’s security institutions and proposed security stabilization mechanisms and options.
“The former senior military and police officers also explored options for restructuring the Somali security forces in accordance with stipulations in the Agreement on Cessation of Armed Confrontation signed within the framework of the Djibouti peace process,” it said.
They recommended modalities for disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation and lauded the TFG for reaching out to all Somalis who can contribute to the government’s efforts to restore peace and security in Somalia.
The participants expressed their readiness and willingness to serve the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, if requested.
The former senior military and police officers expressed gratitude to the United Nations and Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah for forging a common front towards stabilizing Somalia and rallying the financial and political support of the international community.
The participants commended the relentless efforts of the African Union and the League of Arab States (LAS) in supporting the restoration of peace and security in Somalia.
The conference agreed to reconvene within six months to take stock of its deliberations and recommendations.
Engaging the former leadership of the Somali Forces is expected to enable them to share their institutional memory and know-how with the current leadership.
The statement said the workshop served as a practical capacity building measure but it will also help move towards a comprehensive understanding on the Somali security situation.
The development came as insurgents have so far refused to recognize the Western-backed government and have vowed to overthrow the administration and implement the strictest form of Sharia law.
Somalia has been without an effective government after former long-time ruler Mohammed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.
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Source: XINHUA
