Friday July 19, 2024
Dhusamareb (HOL) - Galmudug regional state welcomed the decision from the National Security Council meeting in Mogadishu on Thursday night following the looting of two truckloads of weapons in central Somalia.
A statement from the Galmudug Presidential Palace instructed the regional judicial institutions to cooperate with the Federal Government to bring to justice those behind the smuggling of illegal weapons into Galmudug.
Galmudug demanded that the perpetrators be brought to justice immediately, despite no group claiming responsibility for the ownership of the weapons seized by residents in Abudwak district.
At least 12 people were killed in the Abudwak district as government soldiers and local militias fought over two truckloads of weapons illegally brought over the border from Ethiopia. The incident occurred in Shiilamaow village, about 20 kilometers northwest of Abudwak, close to the Ethiopian border.
Somali government forces had seized the weapons from "illegal weapons traders" and were escorting them when armed militias erected a checkpoint and intercepted the arms. The local militias overpowered government forces after receiving reinforcements from clan members, the Internal Security Ministry said in a statement.Last night, the National Security Council instructed the Ministry of
Internal Security to submit a report and recommendations on illegal
weapons smuggling into the country. The council agreed to finalize the
National Policy on Arms Purchase and submit it to the Council of
Ministers immediately. They also agreed to ban the sale and trade of
firearms and urged the Ministry of Justice and law enforcement agencies
to quickly prosecute all those involved in this illegal activity.