Opposition parties have taken President Farmajo head-on, urging him to go take charge of the disgruntlement within the Somalia National Army occasioned by non-payment of salaries.
The leaders said that, as commander-in-chief, the blame over insecurity and welfare of the soldiers lay squarely on his shoulders.
The parties, UPD, Himilo Qaran, Ilays and Wadajir released a joint statement in which they warned that the security situation in the country was deteriorating. They cited the increased instances of bombing in Mogadishu in the past two weeks as a pointer.
“The President as the chief of the armed forces, according to the constitution of the Federal Constitution Article 90, sub-section (B) specifically [should] protect the rights, dignity and development of the armed forces,” the political parties said.
The political parties also called for immediate assistance to the military in the form of salaries and benefits, compensation and food rations. The biometric registration of the soldiers should be conducted in a fair and transparent manner while giving priority to those who are already deployed.
The political parties also appealed to national leaders and government officials to desist from public statements that could impact on the morale of the security forces.
For the second week, troops in some parts of the countries have pulled out of their bases demanding for pay arrears dating back to the past four months.
The government has however played down the complaints, arguing that they would be paid once the biometric registration is done.
