A consultative meeting between the Federal Government Security Ministry officials and the regional governments security ministries has noted the urgent need of preventing arms importation by Al-Shabaab and ISIL, especially from coastal towns still under the militia groups’ control.
Deputy Minister of National Security Abdi Nasser Said, mentioned that the government was fully committed to prevent Al-Shabaab from importing arms through the coastal towns and ports of the nation. “We want to prevent the importation of firearms by Al-Shabaab and ISIS from the territories that are currently under their control, which they use to harm the Somali public. We have accordingly resolved to beef up security along the Somali coastal stretch in order to fight against importation of illegal arms by terrorist groups like Al-shabaab.” said deputy Minister, Abdi Nasser.
The Somali coastline is currently manned by foreign naval ships that are fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia, which has been reported to have greatly reduced. Similarly, Somali businessmen with fishing boats have recently been complaining of harassment by foreign naval ships off the coast of Somalia.
