Somali Navy Marks Its 53rd Anniversary

Somali Navy on Saturday commemorated the 53rd anniversary since its inception in 1965.

The forces held a colourful ceremony in Mogadishu which was attended by high rank officials including chief of Army, Abdiweli Jama Gorod and other military officials.

Somali prime minister, Hassan Ali Kheire has sent congratulatory message to the navy which is recovering from two decades of disintegration following the fall of  Somali central government.

“I congratulate officials and Soldiers of Somali Navy and Coastal Defense who are today commemorating the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of the force,” Prime Minister Kheire said in a statement posted on his twitter account.

Speaking at the event, federal government defense minister, Mohamed Mursal underlined that the government is committed to rebuild the navy so guard and defend Somali territorial waters that became undefended for decades.

Somali government has recently carried out initiatives to rebuild the force including reconstruction of its headquarters and recruitment and training of new forces.

Somalia had once boasted a powerful naval force which used to guard the Somali waters against illegal exploitation of marine resources through surveillance and patrol of the maritime boundaries.