Somalia, Al-Shabaab each disowns having peace talks

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Both the Al-Shabaab and the government of Somalia disowned alleged intentions to have peace talks, just a few hours after a senior Somali government official claimed that the two parties are willing to negotiate for the sake of stability in the Horn of Africa nation.

On Saturday, Deputy Defense minister Abdulfatah Kasim Mohamud, who is also a member of the Lower House, claimed the militants have formally approached the government requesting negotiations to end the 26-year siege.

But moments after Abdulfatah Kasim Mohamud's sentiments, a senior federal government of Somalia official denied claims that they have received official communication from the Al-Qaida-linked group for talks, adding that the minister was misquoted.

“We have not received any requests from the group,” National Security Adviser Hussein Sheikh Ali told Voice of America Somali. “The minister said he was misquoted.”

According to him, the official position on Al-Shabaab by the federal government of Somalia has not changed, adding that the offensive will continue as planned. The government with its allies has been unleashing on the militants for the last five months.

“Our policy towards talks with Alshabab remains the same,” he wrote in a message via WhatsApp.

“We aren’t negotiating with them as a group. However, individuals who wish to leave the group will undergo a thorough process to defect and be eligible for government amnesty formally,” he added.

In the same measure, the Al-Shabaab militants have denied intentions to engage the government of Somalia, noting that the claims were "baseless". Through their affiliated website, the group denies the claims, while accusing the minister of fabrication.

"I can confirm that there aren’t and can be no talks between us,” a militant official told the website. The official was said to be from the group’s media department, but his name was not published.

Further, the official dismissed intentions for talks with the government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who has been on the frontline in the fight against the militants. Previously, Al-Shabaab has ruled out such talks with the government.

Ali Mohamud Rage, known as Ali Dhere, the official spokesperson of Al-Shabaab, said a few years ago that said dialogue is “more dangerous than the weapons of mass destruction."

"We heard from the infidels and apostates repeatedly stating that they are open to talks with the mujahedeen," he told al-Shabab's radio Andalus. "This is how the infidels use dialogue, as an approach to misguide the Muslims and destroy Muslim causes.”

Al-Shabaab has lost several strategic towns across the country following a spirited operation by the Somalia National Army [SNA], the US Africa Command, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], and lately well organized clan militia.

GAROWE ONLINE