REVEALED: Why Somalia army withdrew from liberated towns

FILE - Somali soldiers patrol in convoy near Sanguuni military base about 450 km south of Mogadishu, Somalia, June 13, 2018. [AFP Image]

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The withdrawal of the Somali National Army [SNA] from strategic towns in central Somalia was "strategic" and not "cowardly" as earlier claimed by analysts, the government has confirmed, rejecting the initial version of the story which saw the current administration face backlash on social media.

For the last four days, the national army had been withdrawing from strategic towns in what is associated with a recent attack at Cawsweyne [Oswein] in which Al-Shabaab claims over 178 soldiers were killed. However, the government has dismissed the reports without giving accurate information.

In an interview with the BBC, Justice Minister Hassan Moalim said the withdrawal was a war strategy, and that the restructuring of the desired operation to remove Al-Shabaab from the areas they control in Galmudug state, which has been witnessing military operations for the last seven months.

Besides Cawsweyne, the military withdrew from Elbur and Galhareri along with other liberated towns, causing concerns about the ability of the national army to effectively fight Al-Shabaab militants. The local forces are supposed to take over from peacekeeping by December 2024.

Elbur, 400 km north of Mogadishu served as a main Al-Shabaab bastion for 16yrs. The terror group recaptured five other areas, including Eldher and Masagawa in the Galgaduud region. The loss of the hard-won areas deals a blow to SNA operations according to security experts.

Although it is not clear when the military will return to the battlefield, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud maintained that the army will not leave the frontlines until the militants are defeated. Once combing is over in Galmadug and HirShabelle, the military is expected to camp at Jubaland and Southwest states.

The US Africa Command, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], and local militia have been preparing for the second phase of operations against Al-Shabaab, but the most recent setbacks in central Somalia may have slowed down the military offensive against Al-Shabaab.

Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti had pledged to dispatch non-ATMIS troops to the Frontline but until now, the three countries have yet to confirm participation. Jubaland and Southwest states are bedrocks of Al-Shabaab, a notorious group linked to Al-Qaida militants.

The Somali National Army is expected to take over security responsibilities from ATMIS whose deadline for withdrawal from Somalia has been scheduled for December 2024. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has ruled out negotiations against the group, adding that "we shall defeat them".

GAROWE ONLINE