Mogadishu — The lawmakers of the Federal Parliament of Somalia voted to overwhelmingly approve the Anti-Terrorism Act on Wednesday after a heated debate.
The bill was presented to the Somali Parliament by the ministry of security and it comes as Somalia is now at war with Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda’s most powerful group in East Africa.
The speaker of the House Sheikh Adan Madobe, who presided over today’s meeting, said that 133 MPs voted in favor of the law, while three MPs rejected it and 7 others abstained.
Mahad Salad, the director of NISA – National Intelligence and Security Agency has thanked the MPs for the endorsement of the new anti-terror bill.
The bill will go to the Upper House of the Federal Parliament for a nod. If approved, it ends up at the office of the President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for signing into a law.
In early last month, Somali parliament has officially approved the Bill of the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia, NISA, after 53 years of its establishment.