The Defense Committee of the House of Representatives asked tough questions to Minister Fiqi

Mogadishu (Caasimada Online) – The Defense Committee of the House of the People of Somalia held an accountability meeting today with the Minister of Defense, Mr. Ahmed Macallin Fiqi, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, the Director General of the Ministry, and other officials.

The meeting, which took place at the Villa Hargeysa headquarters, was chaired by the Deputy Chairman of the Defense Committee, Member of Parliament Abdirisak Hassan Dhokir, focusing on important issues concerning the Somali National Army, particularly the salary cuts, the rights of orphans and disabled soldiers, as well as other challenges affecting the care of the forces.

During the meeting, committee members posed tough questions to the minister and other officials of the ministry related to defense operations and the military, in order to expedite progress.

Additionally, the committee emphasized that it is unacceptable for the rights and salaries of soldiers who sacrifice their lives for the defense of the country, as well as the orphans and disabled soldiers, to be diminished without fully considering their circumstances and the rights they possess.

On the other hand, the meeting addressed the fight against the Khawarij, the building and strengthening of the Somali National Army, avoiding political interference, preventing the misuse of the military, and the challenges related to military ranks that require sustainable solutions.

Members of the Defense Committee of the House of the People praised the Minister and the staff of the Ministry of Defense for transparently presenting the existing challenges and the necessary solutions, in order to swiftly take important actions.

Finally, the committee and officials from the Ministry agreed to continue accountability and oversight meetings, to strengthen the transparency of the work of the Ministry of Defense and the Somali National Army Command, and to ensure the protection of the rights of the forces and the development of the country's defense capabilities.

In recent days, members of Parliament have been holding accountability meetings with the government, the latest of which was yesterday when the Minister of Health appeared before them after surviving a motion brought before Parliament, followed by a vote.