Friday September 12, 2025
Somali Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi and UK Ambassador to Somalia Charles Nicholas King inspect newly delivered counter-explosive equipment during a handover ceremony in Mogadishu on Sept. 11, 2025. The United Kingdom donated advanced vehicles and devices to the Somali National Army’s Engineering Unit to strengthen its capacity against improvised explosive devices. Senior Somali officers and British military advisers attended the event.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s federal government on Thursday received advanced vehicles and equipment from the United Kingdom designed to help the Somali National Army counter explosive devices.
The equipment was formally delivered in Mogadishu by Charles Nicholas King, the United Kingdom’s ambassador to Somalia, who presented the vehicles and devices to the Somali National Army’s Engineering Unit, which specializes in explosive ordnance disposal. Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Odowaa Yusuf Raage, and other senior officials attended the ceremony. Fiqi said the new resources would enhance the army’s safety and effectiveness in operations against al-Shabab and other armed groups, calling the handover a vital step in improving both soldier protection and civilian security.
According to the United Nations Mine Action Service, improvised explosive devices killed or injured 767 civilians in Somalia in 2024, a 25 percent increase from the previous year, while explosive remnants of war caused an additional 34 casualties.
The UN data illustrates that civilians continue to bear the brunt of the threat, with children making up a significant share of victims. Explosive ordnance continues to disrupt everyday life, particularly in rural areas where unexploded devices pose ongoing risks. A 2024 assessment conducted by UNMAS and UNICEF found that nearly one-third of Somali children surveyed were unable to recognize warning signs for explosive remnants of war, underscoring the need for both risk education and clearance operations.
Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) remains a challenge: a 2024 assessment in several Somali federal member states found that about 30% of children surveyed (18 and under) were not aware of warning signs for explosive ordnance, and 34% didn’t understand the dangers posed by leftover explosive materials.
Fiqi thanked the British government for its “strategic support”. In addition to Thursday’s handover, London contributed nearly $4 million to the United Nations Support Office in Somalia’s trust fund in April 2025, earmarked for non-lethal support to nearly 19,000 Somali security personnel.