Monday November 11, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali Council of Ministers reappointed General Odowa Yusuf Raage as the Commander of the Somali Armed Forces, replacing General Ibrahim Muhyiddin during an emergency meeting held in Mogadishu on Sunday night.
A statement from Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre's office stated that the Council of Ministers approved the proposal of the Ministry of Defense to appoint General Odowa Yusuf Raage as the Commander of the Somali National Army to expedite the country's defense efforts and eliminate the Khawarij groups.
General Raage, who previously served as Somali National Army (SNA) commander from 2019 to June 2023, succeeded General Ibrahim Muhyiddin, who had held the role since June. Raage's reappointment comes as the Somali government prepares for an intensified military campaign against al-Shabaab and for the transfer of security responsibilities from the African Union forces to Somali forces.
The new African Union mission, named the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), is set to succeed the current AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in early 2025. Egypt and Djibouti have pledged support for AUSSOM, while Ethiopian forces will be excluded, following Somalia's decision to bar them from the mission due to recent tensions. Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama confirmed Ethiopia's exclusion in an interview on Saturday, attributing the decision to Ethiopia's alleged violations of Somali sovereignty.
The leadership change within the Somali Armed Forces and the upcoming AU mission transition reflects Somalia's evolving strategy to secure its territory and push back against insurgent threats independently.