- Kenyan security agents said the Somalia government is making headway in repulsing the militants from the cities they had earlier captured.
- On December 6 it was widely reported that Ruun-Nirgood, which is 77km east of Adan Yabaal, was the only main region remaining in al-Shaabab hands.
Image: FILE
More personnel have been taken to parts of North Eastern region bordering the Kenya-Somalia border following reports al-Shabaab militants are losing grip in their areas.
This follows sustained offensive from the Somalia National Army and other local personnel.
Officials said the end President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's reign in Somalia and ascendance to power of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on May 15 boosted confidence that, under the new regime, Somali forces can take the fight to al-Shaabab militants’ door step.
Kenyan security agents said the Somalia government is making headway in repulsing the militants from the cities they had earlier captured.
On December 6 it was widely reported that Ruun-Nirgood, which is 77km east of Adan Yabaal, was the only main region remaining in al-Shaabab hands.
“The government troops appear to have seized all districts in the eastern side and now are going for Buq Aqable district to liberate it from the al-Shabaab control," a senior official aware of the operations said.
"This progress has boosted the morale of Somali forces in their mission to vanquish the al-Shabaab formation and take control of Somalia.”
Reports also indicate that Somali government forces supported by local fighters entered Adan Yabaal, the main town in middle Shabelle region, which has been under the control of the militant group since 2016.
This is a clear indication that the new government, with the support of foreign troops and local fighters, has been able to suppress the activities of the militants, especially in rural areas where they usually retreat to after launching an attack.
President Hassan said his administration will invest in the fight against the militants, while calling for assistance from neighbouring countries.
The US pledged to work with mission troops to bring about order into the country.
Barely a year into power, Hassan is walking the talk in a journey to liberate a country which has experienced the worst attacks from the militants since the year 2000.
Kenyan officials said they expect to start experiencing an influx of al-Shaabab militants, either escaping from the Somali forces assault or their own onslaughts.
“The hostile environment in Somalia coupled with the dwindling funding gotten through zhakat will push the militants towards Kenya through Mandera, Wajir and Garissa borders,” an official said.
Already, local residents have reported they have encountered unfamiliar people in their midst and it is highly suspected they could be al- Shabaab returnees.
According to security agents, residents in neighbouring Somalia’s Jubaland state said they have been suffering from criminal acts propagated by al-Shabaab.
The residents say the terror group has been forcefully demanding that those in Gedo and Jubaland donate some of their livestock as zakhat to the criminal group.
“This has economically hurt the livelihood of the residents as they are forced to give money to the militants, which leave them with no option to refuse or resist due to fear of repercussions from the group,” the official said.
A recently released report by the UN monitoring group said that al-Shabaab for a long time resorted to threats, intimidation and violence to terrify clan elders and residents into payment of illegal taxes.
In other cases, they forcefully rounded up the livestock belonging to the residents and escaped with them.
A high ranking al-Shabaab leader who is also the Gedo shadow governor, Sheikh Abdi Rahman, recently instructed that 2,000 camels should be distributed to poor families in the Gedo region.
The camels were collected in form of alms from the ‘able families’ for distribution to the hungry and poor families in what can be regarded as a strategy to repress clan uprisings by residents against the militants’ statutes.
Clan elders were then given the responsibility of identifying families that were most deserving of the alms and directed to give them the camels.
Isaq Arabey, who is head of the al-Shabaab unit responsible for collection of alms, oversaw the exercise of distributing the camels to the families.
The militant group’s leadership seem to have initiated a few social programmes, especially in Galmadug and Hirshabelle, aimed at helping these communities, but are in reality trying to prevent current clan revolts.
(edited by Amol Awuor)