Russia ready to supply Somali army with military equipment needed for war on terror
Published Date – Friday, 5/26/23 at 10:00pm
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Somali Foreign Minister Abshir Omar Jama (Khurusee) hold a joint news conference after talks in Moscow (AFP photo)
Moscow: Russia is ready to supply the Somali army with military equipment needed for the war on terror, Russia’s foreign minister said on Friday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the proposal after talks in Moscow with his Somali counterpart Abshir Omar Jama.
Russia’s top diplomat said Moscow had reiterated its readiness to meet the material needs of the Somali army to combat extremists remaining in Somalia, including al-Shabab and al-Qaeda. The proposal further underscores Russia’s growing interest in the continent’s ability to overtake the West in countries facing conflict.
Currently, the Russian mercenary Wagner is present in the Central African Republic, Mali, Mozambique and Libya.
Somalia has faced repeated attacks by Al-Shabaab, an East African affiliate of al-Qaida, and the government recently launched its most significant offensive against the al-Shabab extremist group in more than a decade.
The extremist group has hindered the country’s recovery from decades of conflict.
Russia’s game plan in Africa includes seeking alliances with regimes or juntas the West shuns, or facing insurgencies and internal challenges to its rule.
African leaders have the Kremlin’s approval and Wagner’s military prowess. They pay for this by giving Russia priority access to their oil, gas, gold, diamonds and valuable minerals.
In a testament to Russia’s influence in Africa, 17 of the 35 nations that abstained from the UN resolution condemning the Ukraine invasion were African.
Somalia voted in favor of the Ukrainian resolution but has been working to improve relations with Russia, which were broken in 1978 by Moscow’s backing of Ethiopia’s war with Somalia.
