Somalia: Cache of Weapons Stolen From Somali Presidential Palace

Mogadishu (Sh.M.Network) Shabelle Media Network has learnt from credible sources that cache of weapons were systematically being stolen from army stores inside Villa Somalia, which also houses the residence of the Somali president Hassan Shiekh Mohamud, before it was discovered last night.

Different but reliable sources, who spoke to Shabelle, say that security guards at the place seized at least 11 mortar rounds which, unnamed people were trying to smuggle out of the palace and after a quick internal investigation, it was discovered that a large of weapons were also missing from the storages of the palace and it is now believed that this kind of smuggling had been going on before it was only discovered last night.

It is now confirmed to Shabelle that a captain is now detained for the stolen weapons. Shabelle tried to contact top government officials to find more details and a top defence official told Shabelle that he could not say other than that an investigation was underway and that they are waiting the ongoing investigation before they can speak to the media.

President Hassan Shiekh Mohamud is reported to have visited the stores where the weapons were stolen and he learnt that large number of weapons was missing.

If this is confirmed officially, it will surely be both embarrassment and anxiety to the government because the only group that wants to buy weapons is the same enemy that the government is fighting and it is Al shabab.

Meanwhile it will also come up with bad implications over the recent step which the UN security has suspended the arms embargo on Somalia after the Somali government asked that so it could equip its national army.