MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Macallin Fiqi and army commander Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud have met children orphaned by soldiers who died defending the country, the ministry said.
The officials held a briefing and encouragement session with some of the children and pledged to regularly monitor their welfare and provide appropriate care and support.
The meeting comes amid concerns over reported cuts to financial assistance for families of soldiers killed in combat, military personnel disabled during operations and retired service members.
Some affected families have said their allowances were reduced without sufficient explanation for the changes.
The Defence Committee of Somalia’s House of the People has summoned Fiqi and the army commander to respond to reports of cuts to allowances for retired and disabled soldiers and families of troops killed in combat.
The committee has also asked the officials to clarify the legal basis for the reported changes.
