A meeting was held last night in Mogadishu by militias leaders and high-ranking army deserters loyal to the opposition united under the National Salvation Forum.
These officers appointed a seven-member committee consisting of members of the militias, which consisted of a chairman, deputy chairman and spokesperson.
General Ali Osoble Araay (Gacma-dule) was selected as the chairman of the committee, while General Indha Ade was selected as his deputy, with the spokesperson being Major Dini Roble Ahmed. All of them deserters who have chosen to renounce their oath to protect the nation and turned their weapons against their own government.
The committee went by the name of the National Salvation Army and includes officers who were previously prosecuted for insubordination. Among the members are General Abdimalik Ismail, former commander of Danab forces, Colonel Saney Abdulle, Colonel Osman Hadole and General Sadaq John.
According to our sources, the committee will meet with Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and discuss the decision reached last night in Mogadishu. But they already put forward stringing demands.
The decisions are said to be part of plans for rebel soldiers to leave Mogadishu and return to their bases. Prime Minister Roble is working to find a solution to the situation in Mogadishu, where SNA deserters who joined the opposition militias are still stationed in the capital.
The opposition forces also agreed not to leave their hideouts in Mogadishu until Prime Minister Roble accept their demands to replace commanders of the government forces involved in defeating their attack on presidential palace on April 25 and for the President to relinquish his responsibilities as Commander-in-chief.
They said that before withdrawing troops from the capital, it was important to make sure that Prime Minister Roble is sincere in his efforts and that he is not carrying out what they called President Farmajo’s plans to retaliate against the SNA deserters who joined the opposition militias.
The objective of the opposition militiamen is to reintegrate the Somali National Army (SNA) and to return to the deserted bases without any disciplinary measures being taken against them.
The Prime Minister for his part appointed a committee to conduct a negotiation on the best way to deal with these militiamen that are still terrorizing the Mogadishu residents.
However, pundits have reservations on the success of this committee pointing out to some Committee members, like Mahad Salad, a firebrand opposition activist, who actively lobbied SNA officers to support the opposition and rebel against the government.
