Monday July 6, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — On a frontline visit in central Somalia, Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi pushed back sharply Sunday against assertions that the country’s army and security institutions have broken down, insisting Somali forces are still carrying the fight against al-Shabab.
Addressing troops in El-Dher district in the Galgaduud region, Fiqi said Somali soldiers are defending the nation every day and took aim at politicians he accused of making public statements that weaken morale and disrupt active military campaigns.
“We are told that the Somali army has collapsed. That is not true,” Fiqi said. “Our army is these heroes who are fighting al-Shabab and any enemy that threatens the country.”
His comments followed recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump and come as Somalia faces renewed political debate over its security posture and the federal government’s capacity to maintain pressure on al-Shabab.
Fiqi charged that some government critics appear pleased when al-Shabab seizes territory but show irritation when Somali forces recover districts and villages.
He called on them to show patience, saying the government would press ahead with its strategy to free areas that remain under the group’s control.
Fiqi commended the troops for their bravery and sacrifices, directing them to step up operations, remain alert and deepen coordination with communities in the areas where they serve.
Somali National Army commander Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud, who joined the delegation in El-Dher district said the military leadership remains focused on sustaining operations to defeat al-Shabab and strengthen security nationwide.
The delegation met army units stationed along the front lines, assessed the conditions facing soldiers and reviewed current military operations.
The statements came days after the United States said it would block U.N. support for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM, beginning next year.
The AU mission, with nearly 12,000 personnel, backs Somalia’s federal government in its campaign against al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked militant group that controls wide stretches of rural southern and central Somalia and has in the past pushed to the outskirts of Mogadishu.
AUSSOM depends heavily on the U.N. Support Office in Somalia for logistical backing, including food, water, fuel, medical care and transport for troops.
Washington has told the African Union it will not back continued U.N. logistical and operational assistance for the mission after the end of this year.
The U.S. government said it would not oppose a U.N. Security Council renewal of the AU mission’s mandate, but would resist any extension that keeps U.N. support through UNSOS.
AUSSOM’s budget stood at $190 million last year, but the mission’s financing has grown increasingly uncertain, leaving a significant funding gap.
Washington last year rejected a proposal to move AUSSOM to a funding arrangement in which U.N. assessed contributions would pay for three-quarters of the mission’s budget.
