Army chief condemns short-lived mutiny by SNA troops in Somalia's capital

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's military boss has accused a section of his troops of "violating" the code of conduct that they pledged to embrace, following a short-lived mutiny on Sunday which involved soldiers from Middle Shebelle.

In a dramatic turnout of events, dozens of soldiers marched in the streets of Mogadishu and blocked the main road leading to the presidential palace, besides barricading main entry routes to the busy city.

While speaking to reporters, the disgruntled soldiers accused the federal government of Somalia of failing to clear their wages, some insisting that they have not been paid for over 20 months now despite the steady flow of resources for military operations.

But in a rejoinder on Monday, Gen. Odowaa Yusuf Rageh, who was appointed the army chief almost a year ago, said the government has cleared salaries for soldiers who had formally registered with the Somali National Army [SNA].

However, he added, some have not been cleared because of "technical" issues which arose during registration, but did not disclose what the issues were or the number of the affected officers, who are yet to be notified about the development.

"The government is keen to pay soldiers and all those who were enlisted in our biometric register have been paid their dues. Nobody should claim otherwise because we have bank details which can affirm that position," he told reporters on Monday.

Rageh, who is the youngest officer in the history of Somalia to occupy the post, added: "However, there are some who haven't been paid due to technical issues which arose during registration. This is something which we're keen to fix."

The troops from 27th Division were assisted by a section of civilians to block roads during the mutiny. Despite lamenting about delayed payments, they did not disclose whether they were affected during the biometric registration, which is part of radical reforms being undertaken by the Ministry of Defense.

Reports indicate that the soldiers had been taking part in the ongoing operations to flush Al-Shabaab from their hideouts in Lower Shebelle. They were mainly from Jowhar military base in Middle Shebelle, which has also been facing Al-Shabaab menace.

But Rageh faulted the troops, insisting that issues pertaining to their welfare should always be handled internally with respect to rich traditions of the Armed Forces of Somalia. Their conduct, he added, was extremely "unbecoming".

"It is quite regrettable that they staged a mutiny. This is completely against our code of conduct and actually punishable. We're trying to handle the matter but be sure that we have a formidable contingent that will protect Somalis," he said.

During his address in parliament early this month, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo said the army had been paid, adding that Somali is grateful to international partners who are responsible for payment of the troops' salaries.

The US and the European Union have been punishing for radical reforms in the military, including the biometric registration. The top echelons of the military were accused of diverting donor money for their personal use, defaulting payment of soldiers in the process.

Also, there are plans to recruit troops based on merit a move which Farmajo insists that will bring the much-needed peace, integration and stability in Somalia. The country has struggled to establish a functional government for three decades.

GAROWE ONLINE