PM Hamza Barre: Somalia shall win Al-Shabaab war

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre insists that the federal government of Somalia will eventually win the war against Al-Shabaab militants, noting that the country has done "massive investments" which cannot go to "absolute waste" given the commitment by the local and international troops.

In the near future, he says, the Somalia National Army [SNA] with the help of international partners will eventually manage to liberate several towns which have been under Al-Shabaab dominance for the last couple of years. Already, many towns have been liberated from the jaws of the destructive group.

At an event in Mogadishu, Barre said the country is solidly behind the troops at this time when they need morale boosting, adding that it is the responsibility of Somalis to throw their weight behind the troops who are "sacrificing for the sake of future generations" and the country’s stability.

In the next few weeks, Somalia will embark on the second phase of operations against Al-Shabaab with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud confirming that the country will receive backing from Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia. The three countries will dispatch additional troops.

The troops, he added, will serve for three months under the Command of the Somali National Army, a deviation from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS]. The non-ATMIS troops are set to help the Somali army aggressively pursue the militants to their various hideouts.

Prime Minister Hamze also praised the citizens of Somalia for assisting the security forces in the war by providing crucial information that has made it easy to identify and neutralize threats posed by the militants. Local militia have been fighting alongside the national army in as many months.

Somalia anticipates that by December 2024, the country will be completely free from Al-Shabaab with civilian administration installed in various towns across the country. Somalia has been battling to free itself from the militants for the last 16 years, with the country also struggling with instability for the last three decades.

GAROWE ONLINE