The Somali President opened the 10th Session of the Somali Parliament Held in Mogadishu Today. He Informed MPs that the Government Recruited Enough Troops to Take on the Extremists

  (Mogadishu – Somalia, Monday December 21, 2009)  The President of Somalia, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, speaking on the occasion of the opening of the 10th Session of the Somali Parliament informed Somali Parliamentarians that, “establishing security is the principal priority issue for the government.” The President further added that the government has “prepared adequate security forces that can defeat the Al Qaeda-inspired anti-peace elements in Somalia.”

285 MPs attended the opening session of the Parliament chaired by the Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur who in his brief statement, listed both the achievements and challenges the Somali Parliament had faced in this year including the murder and maiming of a dozen MPs. In a written statement touching on many fronts, the President urged the MPs to assist the security forces retake the country from Alshabab and he called on the citizens to play their indispensable role in this matter.

Dressed in a military uniform, the President announced that the Transitional Federal Government has succeeded in many fronts, particularly the recruitment and training of the Somali National Forces and appointing a new leadership for them. The support of the Somalia People and the International Community remain strong. He also stated that the government undertook number of vital internal reforms including appointing a Chief Justice, a new Governor of the Banadir region, a new Police Commissioner and a new Military Chief.   

The President also informed the Members of Parliament that the government has yet to receive most of the pledges made by the International Community. He called on the donors to “fulfil their pledges to the Somali people who currently is facing off with brutal radicals bent on destabilising not only Somalia but the entire region.”

The President called on both Somaliland and Puntland to join forces with the TFG in the fight against Al Qaeda, since the President said, “Al Qaeda is menace to all Somalis and is equally and indiscriminately bombing Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Baladweyne, Bososo and the Central Regions”.