Al Shabaab terrorists operating in Somalia have been “defeated as a fighting force” after decades of creating havoc, according to the country’s president.
But President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has warned that the extremists are an international network with links to al Qaeda and they still have the ability to mount attacks both inside Somalia and abroad.
The president is travelling to England next week to jointly chair an international conference with the British Prime Minister on Somalia’s future.
He will be trying to convince backers like Britain and America that, despite more than two decades of financial support, their help is not only still needed but as crucial as ever.
“Somalia is so close to coming out of the quagmire,” he told Sky News in his only television interview ahead of the conference.
“I say, please bear with us and stretch your patience just a little bit and you will get the kind of Somalia you have been dreaming of for 22 years.”
The president is the first elected leader in more than two decades and is heading up the first permanent government in that time.
He has only been in his job for eight months but with United Nations support there finally seems to be some progress in a country known as being the world’s most fragile state.
International money along with the 18,000 African Union peacekeepers in the country has meant tentative stability in a nation more used to war.
The extremists have mostly been driven out of the capital Mogadishu and the joint Somali and African Union troops continue to take territory once held by the Islamists.
Many Somalis who once fled to safety in exile are now returning from their bolt holes around the world to set up businesses and live once again in their homeland.
There are big efforts to train the newly bolstered national army and police force, and the first permanent government is widely seen as legitimate and progressive.
But the terrorists’ capacity to wreak havoc was demonstrated just a few weeks ago when al Shabaab extremists stormed the capital’s court buildings, firing guns and setting off explosions.
The attack triggered a gunfight between the terrorists and the Somali security forces and at least 20 people were killed.
And over the past few days the capital has been virtually locked down due to fears of another attack.
But there is still a definite feeling of confidence among the Somali forces and the African Union peacekeepers that progress is being made bit by bit.
Colonel Kassim Roble is one of the returning diaspora, lured back to his motherland after becoming convinced Somalia has turned the corner.
He had spent the previous eight years in Leicester before deciding to return home last year.
“Security is getting better every day, every month, every hour,” he told Sky from the newly renovated Ministry of Defence in the capital. “We are in charge of 85% to 90% of the city (of Mogadishu).”
He put much of the change down to a fresh focus by the country’s new president who has insisted funds be used to improve conditions for the troops with better salaries, better food and better training.
“The morale is now very good,” said the colonel.
His words were echoed by peacekeepers from the African Union who are involved in helping secure areas but also mentoring and training the Somali security forces.
“Peace is coming back to Somalia,” one Nigerian commander said. “The people are out on the streets, doing business again. The danger is not so much now. There’s is a lot of difference even since a few months ago.”
But the insecurity is never far away and there are concerns that without international community help, the fragile stability will shatter and be reversed.
“Al Shabaab is an international operation. They are operating inside Somalia but they are part of an international terror network,” the president told Sky News.
“Somalia is just a small country, ill-equipped and ill-trained. Shabaab is defeated as a fighting force. Soon there will be no front line or no place they are in control of.
“But when they are defeated militarily, the way they work is they go into the society – so the suicide bombers and roadside bombings and grenade-throwing will go on for some time.
“But they will be defeated. They are about to be defeated and they are on the run.”
Source: Sky news
Did he really said that while they still control regions in the south, and daily attacks in the muuuq-disho?Whatever drugs the president using is working great.
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!
Al-shabaab are only a bunch of cowards who are using the inicint children and the vunrable women to do their dirty business. They are of course, the enemy of islam, the enemy of muslims, and the enemy of every living human being.
They funded by some opportunists who are either seeking a control, or to see somalia going down the hill. Somalia is on the rise, and next week people of somalia will be under 1 umbrella. Im not talking about the half habashis of course, im talking about those who are loyal to their people, to their diin and land.
Alshabaab will be defeated regardless, these guys imported alien Wahabi and wanted to force the Suufis into believing it. Suicide bombing was unheard of in Somalia before Shabaab's arrival. We will go back from the States and join the Somali national Army to defeat Shabaab. Unlike the undisplined Mooriyaan, we are hungry for peaceful Somalia and will not take a bribe. My suggestion to the president is to come back to Minneapolis, United States and draft 4000 Soldiers who are willing to defeat terrorism. The blue flag must fly from all over Somalia, Shabaab's black flag must come down along with all other who are claiming to bew a country.
Man there is nothing called wahaabism or wahabi, it was invented by the brits and they dubbed everyone who folowed sheikh mohammad bin cabdilwahab as wahabis.
There is no movement, a school, a teaching etc etc that is called wahaabism.
Sheikh Mohamad bin cabdilwahab renewed the thoughts of people, as most of people in arabia were sufies who were involved in so many ways with shirk and they have either avoiding the teachings of the profit, or to the most, they were ignorant people who don't really understand quraan or sunnah, and rather live with the culture system.
al-shabaab however, got nothing to do with salafiya, they are the al-khwarij that al-nabi peace be upon him told us about them.
You can search for specific hadithis about alkhawarij and see for yourself man
The guy, or the Mogadhisu horjooga ha aka president. Nominal president of Mogadishu is shooting from the hip to say he defeated terrorists. Who are the terrorists? In a place like Mog, who is the terrorists? Did he has an army to defeat them. His army are Africans who are there for their salaries. This announcement is premature as were many others he and his predecssor care takers said before. This same old same old.Viva the Republic of Somaliland
This is joke, when ever hassan culusow NGO says DEFEATED Al-shabab car Bomb will explode. so, the best thing is to keep his moryaan ,outh dhut before innocent peeple been killed.
correct——— we defeated, the best way is to keep his moryaan mouth shut before innocent people been killed.
Instead of talking nonesense and wishful thinking. First of all stand on your feet on instead on borrowed cructches in the form of black africans-Burrundi-Uganda,two barely existing states marred by chronic tirbal conflicts. Walaweyn are happy every hand shake they get fro foreigners, and they think these foreign lip service support will deliver them in the promised land. The mentality in Muuqdisho is how to collect the world hand outs. Every warlord, every yalao, every jilco, every tooxo wants all that handout. this is exactly what these people were fighting over for thirty years, and they will fightingover it forever. there is nothing else. they will never learn conflict resolution, governance, leadership and democracy. Viva the great republic of Somaliland
Forget about AlShabab, Wanlaeyn you are worst than them..You dream in the daytime. You areinfested with Budhcad badeed, Mooryaaan , warlords, terrorists. You can learn let alone master the art of governance, leadership and order. There is opportunists all are you mutating everyday into a new form and permutation. Stand in front of the mirror and look at your faces Alshabab are you, and not Aliens from Mars. face the facts other you will singing fictional blues for ever.
The fact matter is, Al shabaab was created, supported , funded , and abetted by the Tribal enclaves in the hopes they will get diplomatic recognition on the basis of the rest of Somalia being unstable. The dusty cities of Hargeisa adminstration should be designated as a major threat to the security of the whole region of East Africa. US Drones should soon start operating in Hargeisa to eliminate Al shabab and its supporters of Khat Addict Isaq tribes. And only then peace and stability will return to Somalia
The truth of the matters are, that the Alshabab Fighters are fighting the occupations of foreign
Govts inside the failed Somalia since 1991 without any strong Somalia Govts in place. The truth of
the matter are that the Alshabab fighters would not go away for as long as Somalia are under
occupations by foreign powers. The whole World may come together to fight the Alshabab
but the truth of the matters would logically credit that the Alshabab are homegrown freedom fighters
for their country under occupation just like the Irish IRA or any other IC freedom fighters for a good cause? Therefore homegrown freedom fighters are always difficult to eliminate that easy, you know.
Therefore, the SFG have huge daunting challenges to combat in my poor rational view.
Cheers.