MOGADISHU — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre attended a ceremony on Sunday honouring the national security forces for their role in maintaining security in the capital and across the country, where officials reported an 86.06 percent reduction in security incidents in Mogadishu between 2023 and 2026.
The event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Defence and the Somali National Army Command. Attendees included the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Internal Security, and the Governor of Banadir Region, who also serves as Mayor of Mogadishu.
The commanders of the National Security and Intelligence Agency (NISA), the Somali National Army, and the Somali Police Force were also present, along with other senior security officials.
Security Briefing
Before the ceremony, Prime Minister Hamza held a meeting with the commanders and officers of the various security agencies, where he received a briefing on the security situation in the capital. The briefing reportedly showed that security incidents in Mogadishu had declined by 86.06 percent between 2023 and 2026 following a coordinated security plan.
“We will not allow security to be played with by anyone, whoever they may be,” the Prime Minister said, praising the different forces for the major gains achieved in securing the capital and the country.
Critical Note
The reported 86 percent reduction in security incidents is a significant claim, and if accurate, it represents a genuine improvement in the capital’s security environment. However, the figure comes from a government briefing and has not been independently verified. The absence of a public methodology, the specific definition of what constitutes a “security incident,” and whether the comparison is based on consistent data collection methods across the 2023-2026 period all raise questions about how the number should be interpreted.
Mogadishu has indeed seen periods of relative calm in recent years, but Al-Shabaab retains the capacity to conduct high-profile attacks, as demonstrated by the ongoing security alerts and the March 2025 mortar attack on Aden Adde International Airport. The reduction in incidents may reflect improved security operations, but it may also reflect a shift in Al-Shabaab’s tactics away from frequent small-scale attacks toward less frequent, more complex operations.
The ceremony itself reflects the government’s emphasis on public recognition of the security forces, a positive step in building morale and institutional identity. But public praise cannot substitute for the resources, training, and equipment that the forces need to sustain their gains. The security transition, with the African Union mission preparing to draw down and Somali forces expected to assume greater responsibility, will test whether the improvements reported today can be maintained without external support.
