DHUSAMAREEB, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has arrived in Dhusamareeb, the capital of Galmudug state, for a visit focused on security, development and engagement with local communities.
Mr Hassan Sheikh was received by Galmudug officials and residents after arriving in the central Somali city.
During the visit, the president highlighted what he described as his role in Somalia’s federalisation process.
“When I came to power, from Galkayo to Kismayo, there were no federal member states,” he said. “I helped establish Jubaland, South West, Galmudug and Hirshabelle.”
The formation of Somalia’s federal member states, however, has involved several political actors and has at times been marked by disputes between the federal government in Mogadishu and regional authorities.
Security focus
The visit comes as the federal government seeks to strengthen the Somali National Army and gradually transfer greater responsibility for national security to Somali forces.
Mr Hassan Sheikh is expected to attend a ceremony marking the completion of military training for units of the Somali National Army.
The training forms part of wider efforts to expand the capacity of Somalia’s security forces as the country seeks to reduce its reliance on foreign troops.
Somalia continues to face a major security threat from al-Shabab, the al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has been fighting the federal government for more than a decade.
Government forces, supported by international partners, have intensified operations against the group in central and southern Somalia. Galmudug has been a key area in those operations because of its strategic position and the presence of al-Shabab in parts of the region.
Development projects
The president is also expected to inaugurate several development projects during his visit, with the government saying they are intended to improve public services and strengthen social and economic infrastructure in Galmudug.
He is due to meet representatives of different sections of the Galmudug community to discuss concerns and priorities relating to development, security, state-building and Somalia’s political future, according to the presidency.
The meetings are part of wider efforts by the federal government to strengthen relations with Somalia’s federal member states and advance its national security and state-building agenda.
Galmudug became a federal member state in 2015 and occupies a strategically important area of central Somalia. It borders Puntland to the north-east and Hirshabelle to the south.
The state’s administrative capital is Dhusamareeb, with several other important towns located across the region.
The federal government has been working to consolidate state institutions and security structures across Somalia as national forces prepare to assume greater responsibility for protecting the population and confronting armed groups.
Mr Hassan Sheikh’s visit is therefore expected to combine political outreach with security and development initiatives, as his administration seeks to strengthen federal institutions and improve cooperation between Mogadishu and Somalia’s regional states.
