Somali Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Kheyre and visiting Qatari defense officials have discussed ways to strengthen support for Somali National army.
The meeting between the Somali premier, state minister for Defense and officials from Doha held in Dhusamareb on Saturday stressed the need to double efforts by the gulf state in training and equipping of Somali armed forces.
The Qatari delegation accompanied by senior Somali security chiefs briefly toured the Somali military 21st division base to assess the necessary renovation for the training of recently integrated Ahlu Suna forces into the national army.
The federal government and the leadership of Ahlu Suna religious group signed an agreement to transfer all its forces to the government for training, equipment, and integration into the Somali armed forces.
Somalia and Qatar developed close diplomatic and defense cooperation since Mogadishu’s neutral stance on three Gulf States and Egypt blockade on tiny rich Qatar in June 2017.
Since then, Doha implemented ambitious development projects in the horn of the Africa state mainly infrastructure, defense and economic support backed by direct Qatar airways flights from Mogadishu to Doha.
