Somalia: How Hassan Sheikh almost landed in Al-Shabaab's notorious territory

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The uncoordinated abrupt withdrawal of the Somali National Army [SNA] from various frontlines almost landed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in unfamiliar territory, details have now emerged, leading to possible disciplinary actions against some soldiers.

On Tuesday, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud revealed that a number of soldiers have been summoned by the court martial where they will undergo trial over their unbecoming conduct, which is directly linked to their decision to abandon the frontlines without permission.

The government acknowledged “mistakes” in the plan for Cowsweyne by not securing supply routes to the troops. Officials now believe al-Shabab surrounded the troops immediately after the soldiers entered the village on August 22.

With several soldiers believed to have died in Cowsweyne, the troops had made advances in Elbur, El Dheer, Masagaway, Budbud and Gal’ad, but have since abandoned the towns, endangering civilians and even senior government officials led by the president himself.

However, it is the retreat from Gal'ad which may have irked the government, following investigations by the Voice of America. On the afternoon of August 28, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud donned military fatigues and was preparing to visit Gal’ad, not knowing his soldiers were already in the process of vacating the town, VOA reports.

It took the caution of National Intelligence Security Agency [NISA] Director Mahad Salad and military court chief Colonel Hassan Ali Nur Shute, who prevailed upon the president to cut short his trip. They offered themselves to address the military and convince them to return to the frontlines.

The same day, reports show, a United Nations helicopter carrying about 17 people, flew from Dhusamareb, where the president had set up a temporary base to monitor operations, to Gal’ad. It is after take off it emerged that soldiers had vacated Gal'ad town.

Officials sent frantic phone calls and text messages warning those on board the helicopter to turn around immediately. Those on board received the warning as the helicopter was making its descent. “Don’t land,” said one text message sent by a staffer at the presidential palace. “The town has been abandoned. Come back.”

The pilot was forced to abort the landing and proceeded to Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, further showing the risk the team would have encountered. It is not clear why military commanders did not communicate withdrawal in time.

“We were close to the ground at a distance where small arms fire could bring down the helicopter,” said one passenger. At 6:55 p.m., al-Shabab posted on Telegram that its fighters had recaptured Gal’ad.

A tough-talking Hassan Sheikh has hinted at a military court trial for those who abandoned their duties, almost compromising the security of senior government officials including himself. The names of the affected officials are yet to be made public.

“People like you who did not desert the front lines and those who left the front line in the face of the enemy and went to Xamar [Mogadishu] or sold their weapons on the way, you will not be treated the same,” he told soldiers outside the front-line town of Mahaas.

“They were arrested for a crime they committed,” he said, “and they will be tried by the military tribunal according to the military code and discipline.”

As the government shifts tactics, officials said they are not taking al-Shabab lightly. The Al-Shabaab has been also making advances, pulling serious attacks in central and southern Somalia, but there has been notable progress.

“No, you don’t underestimate the strength of your enemy,” said Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Abdirizak Omar Mohamed, a former internal security minister who is accompanying the president in Mahaas to mobilize his constituency.

“Al-Shabab is not the underdog here,” he said. “We consider they are very much a resilient organization, very much adaptable organization, but we believe that with the public support, and with the mobilization of local communities … the Somali government will prevail in this war against al-Shabab.”

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has come out as a serious mobilizer in the war against Al-Shabaab, and during his trip to Mahas, he revealed that he has been receiving death threats about his life. However, the president maintained that his commitment to the course would not be swayed in any way.

GAROWE ONLINE