...... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all of which have enough problems without them...
turban group has requested an open dialogue amidst a heavy military offensive being waged against them by government forces.
"Hudna!"
Deputy Defense Minister Abdifatah Kasim while addressing the media in Mogadishu confirmed the news.
"Al-Shabaab requested to open negotiations with the Somali government, but there are two groups within al-Shabaab. The first part is foreigners, and the second part is local Somalis. Those locals have a chance to open up negotiations, but those foreigners who invaded our country have no right for talks. The only option is to return to where they are from."
This is the first time a terrorist group is seeking an audience with Somalia's federal government.
However,
there's more than one way to stuff a chicken...
there was no immediate statement by al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-affiliate that for well over a decade has carried out high-profile bombings in Somalia’s capital and controlled parts of the country’s central and southern regions, complicating efforts to rebuild the once-failed state after decades of conflict.
The deputy defense minister further added that "for the Somalis, we are ready to receive them, for they are willing to surrender to the Somali government. They must follow the government’s instructions, reintegrate with their society, or face the Somali National Army in the front lines."
Last year while on a U.S. visit, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during a media briefing said that his administration is not willing to negotiate, with the terror group.
Al-Shabaab numbers several thousand fighters, including an unknown number of foreigners, both from regional countries like neighboring Kenya and beyond. The bully boyz have carried out several high-profile attacks over the years in Kenya, including in the capital, Nairobi, and at a military base used by the U.S.
The group has long sought to impose strict Islamic law in Somalia and seeks the withdrawal of foreign troops operating in the Horn of Africa country. The United States has a military presence in Somalia to combat the turbans, along with
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...and a multinational 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...
force.
Somalia’s president after being elected last year launched a military offensive against al-Shabaab with the support of some local militias that have regained control of some communities from the turbans.
In his New Year’s address to the nation, the president vowed to eliminate al-Shabaab this year.
The turbans, under pressure as the government seeks to squeeze its sources of financing, have lashed out. An October bombing at a busy intersection in Mogadishu killed at least 120 people, and a pair of bombings Wednesday in a region at the heart of the government offensive killed at least 35 people.