MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi on Wednesday took part in a high-level review meeting on governance and institutional reforms within the country’s security agencies, as the government seeks to strengthen accountability and long-term sustainability in the security sector.
The meeting brought together senior officials from the federal government, the World Bank and international partners to assess progress in state-building and good governance linked to national security institutions.
Discussions focused on improving legal frameworks, personnel management and salary systems, procurement controls, pension reform and the long-term sustainability of the Somali National Army.
Fiqi said Somalia’s security transformation should not be measured only by military operations, but also by the institutional strength of security agencies, the transparency of systems and the accountability of armed forces.
“The success of security reform depends on building credible institutions with clear systems and effective oversight,” he said.
He highlighted progress made by the Ministry of Defence in conducting biometric registration and personnel verification for the armed forces, saying the process had helped establish accurate staffing figures and a reliable national personnel registry.
The minister said the ministry was also moving toward a monthly staff verification system directly linked to salary payments and workplace attendance, aiming to ensure that identification, employment status and salary disbursement are fully aligned.
He stressed the importance of the Defence Bill, procurement reform, sustainable pension systems and the establishment of a welfare institution for the orphans of fallen soldiers, disabled service members and retired military personnel.
Fiqi thanked the World Bank and international partners for supporting Somalia’s security sector reforms, particularly through strengthening institutional systems, governance studies and accountability mechanisms.
Also attending the meeting were Interior Security Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, Deputy Finance Minister Abdiqafaar Elmi Haange, Presidential Chief of Staff Abdihakim Yusuf, senior presidential defence adviser Jihaan Abdullahi Hassan, World Bank Country Manager for Somalia Hideki Matsunaga, World Bank governance chief Verena Fritz and representatives of international partners.
