Thursday July 16, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia must develop the capacity to protect itself or risk remaining reliant on outside forces, former National Security Adviser Hussein Moalim warned Wednesday, as questions grow over the country’s security transition.
While foreign troops and international partners have been central to Somalia’s security efforts for years, Moalim said the federal government needs a clear strategy to move beyond external military assistance.
“Governance cannot be dependent on any foreigner,” Moalim said. “It is unfortunate that we have not done the work that we needed to do.”
He said ordinary Somalis should not bear blame for the country’s security challenges, arguing that successive administrations failed to establish capable and resilient security institutions.
According to Moalim, the slow pace of rebuilding the national army and security agencies has prolonged Somalia’s reliance on foreign backing.
“When the people see the fatigue, the economic crisis and the fact that everything is falling behind, they become discouraged,” he said. “The reason for this is that we have not done the work that was expected of us properly.”
His comments come amid intensifying discussion about the future role of African Union forces and whether Somalia’s federal government can take full charge of national security.
Earlier in July, the United States said it would block United Nations support for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia AUSSOM beginning next year, according to documents reviewed by officials.
The AU mission, which has nearly 12,000 personnel, assists Somalia’s federal government in its campaign against al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked group that holds broad areas of rural southern and central Somalia and has previously pushed close to Mogadishu.
AUSSOM depends heavily on U.N. logistical assistance, including supplies of food, water and fuel, as well as medical care and transportation for troops.
Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. government has become increasingly frustrated with Somalia’s federal administration, pointing to political infighting and its failure to defeat al-Shabab despite years of international support.
