Mogadishu (AX) — Unpaid for two years, Somali Correctional Service soldiers blocked roads around Hamar Central Prison in Mogadishu on Thursday, demanding action from the government over their salaries and workers’ rights.
Soldiers who spoke to the media said they had continued working for an extended period without pay and urged the Somali government to address their grievances without further delay.
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The soldiers said they had repeatedly brought their complaints to the relevant authorities but had yet to receive a satisfactory response.
One soldier said the group had served the government for two years, carrying out duties that included maintaining security and defending the country.
“We have been working without rights for two years,” the soldier said. “We want to protect security and serve the nation. We are Somali soldiers, we are Somali youth. The action we took to block the roads is to demand an official response from the Somali government regarding our situation.”
The soldiers said they had also presented their concerns to government officials and other relevant offices, but no formal response had followed.
They said they were prepared to resume and continue their duties, provided the government first addressed their unpaid salaries and other rights.
Neither the Somali Correctional Service nor the federal government has issued an official statement on the soldiers’ claims.
