Somali cabinet approves appointment of Gen Muhyadin as new army chief

Somalia’s Cabinet on Monday approved the appointment of General Ibrahim Sheekh Muhyadin Adow as the new Commander of the Somali National Army (SNA) after the sacking of his predecessor General Odawaa Yusuf Raage, the youngest military commander to hold the position following his appointment in 2019.

Muhiyadin has in the past held different positions within the army including serving as the commander of the Presidential Guards. He studied military logistics in Modena, Italy.

The new army chief is expected to expedite the commencing of the second phase of the offensive against Al-Shabaab militants.

His predecessor led the anti-terror offensive operations Hirshabelle and Galmudug states since last August in what the government refers to as Phase One.

Despite major successes in liberating vast territories from Al-Shabaab terrorists, government-led operations against the Al-Qaeda linked group have slowed down in recent months.

Analysts partly attribute the decline in offensive operations to logistical gaps and the emergence of political disputes in some parts of the country.

The government for its part has been reiterating its call for the lifting of the arms embargo underscoring that it cannot defeat the terror group with the small arms at its disposal.

Imposed by the United Nations Security Council on Somalia in 1992, the arms embargo is the longest ever imposed on a sovereign nation.