Somali parliament to grill security minister about recent deadly attacks

Somali security minister, Abdirisack Mohammed Omar  will appear before parliament on Tuesday over National security.

The parliament is expected to grill the minister and chiefs of the police and National Intelligence and security agency (NISA) about the security of Somalia’s capital city and the recent attacks claimed by Al-Shabab.

On 17th last month, Members of Somali Federal Parliament questioned the Minister about national security breaches and the immunity privileges extended to Federal Members of Parliament.

During the grilling session, the security minister denied having given orders that compel the MPs to go through security checks: “Neither me nor the Police commander have given such orders” said Mr Omar.

Somali Interior and Federal Minister Abdirhman Odywa and the Federal Police commander, were also summoned by Parliament for questioning.

On Friday Shabaab gunmen stormed a hotel in the capital Mogadishu and bombed a nearby park killing at least 20 people and wounding 40.

Forced out of Mogadishu in mid-2011, the Shbaab are on a mission to disprove suggestions they are close to defeat and have claimed several spectacular attacks in recent months, both in Somalia and in neighbouring Kenya.

On Sunday leaders and officials from the countries contributing troops to AMISOM met in Djibouti for a summit after the European Union announced plans to reduce its funding of the force by 20 per cent.