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Somalia to start second phase of Al-Shabaab crackdown during Ramadan
[Garowe] The Somali National Army [SNA] will commence the second and perhaps the final phase of the al-Shabaab ...... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all of which have enough problems without them...crackdown during the Holy month of Ramadan, a senior security advisor has said, as the country makes serious progress in the fight against the group which controls parts of Somalia. According to Kamal Dahir Hassan Gutale, the national security adviser to Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, the new operation will commence immediately just days after the army solidified bases which had been liberated from the krazed killers, paving way for civilian rule. It is estimated that over 600 people have been killed since the offensive started in July last year just immediately after Hassan Sheikh took over with several towns also liberated in the process. The Somali National Army has been getting support from US Africa Command, the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Transition Mission in Somalia and the local militia. The new offensive comes just days after the commissioning of over 8,000 cadets who have joined the national army. The first set of 5000 soldiers was trained in Eritrea ...is run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), with about the amounts of democracy and justice you'd expect from a party with that name. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country. The president, Isaias Afewerki, has been in office since independence in 1993 and will probably die there of old age... while 3,000 others were ushered on on Sunday from Uganda. The country is keen to increase the current force to over 30,000 from the current 18,000. Besides the military battle, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud maintained that he is keen to push for ideological tactics by involving holy mans who are important in shaping the narrative. Also, the government is now targeting al-Shabaab's revenue sources which have sustained operations by the group. At Kampala on Sunday, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud emphasized that the government's top priority is to reform the National Army, which serves as the foundation for the country's governance, and to achieve a swift victory in the fight against terrorism. The new recruits will be integrated into the army immediately. Æthiopia and Egypt have also pledged to train more soldiers so that the country can easily take over security responsibilities from foreign troops from December 2024. The government has also closed down over 250 bank accounts and 70 mobile money transfer firms for claims they are funding al-Shabaab. The second phase is still expected to focus on central parts and southern Somalia where the snuffies have gradually started losing their bases. Somalia has been unstable for the last three decades and there is general concern from members of the international community who want peace to be restored. Posted by: trailing wife 2023-03-21 |
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