Somali officials visit frontline for a fact-finding mission

[Deeq A.]

Senior Somali government officials have visited the national army military base outskirts of the capital, Mogadishu on Wednesday.

The officials are on a fact-finding mission to establish grievances of a reported delayed payment in past months.

Led by Internal Security Minister, Mohamed Abukar Islow, Information Minister, Dahir Mohamed Gelle and the commander of Somali national army, General Odowa Yusuf Rage, they met the troops at Balcad base.

Sadik Warfa, the secretary of the parliamentary defense committee called upon soldiers who are to receive the wages to be patient and exercise restraint as the ongoing biometric registration process is concluded.

He said the government will do all in its capacity to resolve the issue once and for all.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo tasked a delegation led by the two cabinet members to examine the grievances of the soldiers after media reports emerged on the interruption of wages to some members of Somali armed forces due to ongoing biometric registration in past months.

On his side, the prime minister, Hassan Ali Kheyre urged soldiers who have not received the monthly wages to go to the nearest ministry of defense to complete their biometric registration to speed up the disbursement process.

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