Sharif Challenges Mogadishu Disarmament Drive: “State Weapons Are in Private Hands”

Mogadishu (WDN) – Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has launched a pointed critique of the Federal Government’s latest disarmament campaign in Mogadishu, questioning both its legitimacy and practicality while exposing what he described as a glaring contradiction at the heart of the initiative.

Speaking at a press conference in Mogadishu, Sharif argued that the government’s disarmament rhetoric has become detached from reality, noting that many of the weapons imported into the country are not even under the control of Somalia’s national security institutions.

According to the former president, the real issue is not civilians carrying weapons, but rather the widespread perception that state-owned arms have found their way into private hands.

“The weapons brought into the country are not in the hands of the national armed forces,” Sharif said. “They are controlled by specific individuals and stored in private residences. It is difficult to accept a situation where a president whose constitutional mandate has expired is accumulating weapons and then turns around and tells others to disarm.”