The Somali National Army (SNA) is well capable of not only securing but also protecting Somalia.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared this at a town hall forum held in Mogadishu on Wednesday night.
He said this in response to a question on the scheduled drawdown of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troops.
ATMIS has already carried out Phase 1 of the drawdown.
The second phase is scheduled to take place by December 31, 2023.
Initially, SNA is expected to take charge of securing vital installations that include the Presidential Palace and the parliament building in Mogadishu.
President Mohamud expressed his confidence at SNA’s ability to do a great job.
He singled out the discipline, loyalty, and professionalism of the military as the factors making him confident in their abilities.