Somalia: How SNA troops lose strategic villages to Al-Shabaab

MOGADISHU, Somalia - On Wednesday, the Somali National Army (SNA) abandoned the strategic village of Aboorey, which has been the epicentre of fierce gunfight with the al-Shabaab, with the soldiers moving out of Yasooman after the militants gained control.

And even before synthesising the sad development, government forces also abandoned frontlines in Adan Yabaal, another strategic location in the fight against the group. Before the takeover, it had been raining, effectively disrupting aerial surveillance.

Multiple sources confirmed that the heavy rains, besides affecting surveillance, also reduced visibility, with the militants storming the military base from Galharuur, Ceel Muluq, and Al-Kawthar directions. The militants used at least 12 APCs and Russian ZU-23 guns to penetrate defenses.

At the time of the raid at Adan Yabaal, General Odawaa Yusuf Rageh, the chief of the military tribunals, Colonel Hassan Ali Shuute, and several federal and regional parliamentarians, and multiple were within the town but are safe. Soldiers injured in the attack have since been taken to Mogadishu.

For the last two months, the Al-Shabaab militants have intensified campaigns to seize more strategic areas within central and southern regions, leading to force confrontations with the Somali National Army (SNA) and local Macawislay fighters.

Military experts insist that the government recover from recent losses, temporarily withdraw from some of the forward operating bases to minimise further losses, regroup and reorganise the army, and narrow the focus are needed urgently.

But why is the military losing?

The recent losses by the SNA can be attributed to the dysfunctional command and control within the formation – the recent SNA command change led to uncertainty and prolonged fighting, including the sacking of General Odowaa Yusuf Rage, only to reappoint him later.

General Odowaa, a fierce land force officer, was hounded out of office during the operations against Al-shabaab, only to bounce back in November 2024, when the government operations in various frontlines had stalled due to a lack of proper command.

Throughout this period, multiple sources said, unit commanders were either sacked or reshuffled, leading to confusion, disrupted preparations, and training with no clear command in such critical circumstances.

Military theorists also argue that prioritising Ma’awisley fighters during the recruitment and training of thousands of soldiers was a major strategic error. The local fighters who liberated their areas should have been central to the recruitment, experts say.

For instance, during the push into Galmudug, the role of local fighters was reduced as the government mainly focused on its soldiers in preparations. In Middle Shabelle and Hiran, the local fighters were in the lead in the charge against al-Shabaab.

The damage was also witnessed in Galmudug they were playing a secondary role. The government scored more successes in Hiran and Middle Shabelle compared to Galmudug, experts further told security analyst Harun Maruf.

As the government trained more soldiers, the presence of AU forces in Middle Shabelle was reduced. It’s now obvious that newly trained government forces with only about 3 months of training were not ready to take over security responsibilities from the AU forces, experts argue.

Change of focus in operations

Besides the confusion in the command, experts also believe the decision by the government to turn its focus from the offensive against al-Shabaab to controversial constitutional amendments, which created friction between stakeholders, may have disrupted the unity and the support the government received in its fight against al-Shabaab.

The biggest damage from these setbacks is perhaps the potential loss of confidence in the government by the ordinary people who stood up and took the side of the government against al-Shabaab in these areas. The ordinary people were critical in the sharing of intelligence during the crackdown.

But despite these setbacks, the government militia still controls some of the areas seized since 2022, in Middle Shabelle, Hiran regions, Galgudud, and Mudug regions. In Hiran, local fighters seized vast areas in the countryside and are still holding those areas.

But with Wednesday's fall of Adan Yabaal, al-Shabaab regained most areas it lost in Middle Shabelle since 2022, except Nur Dugle and Wargaadhi, which are still in government hands. In the neighbouring Galgudud and Mudug regions, the government still holds Masagaway, El-Dheer, and Harardhere.

Annoyingly, the Somali army has been sacrificing a lot, losing many men and women, from 15 May school opposite the Presidential Palace, all the way to Harardhere. They have been rebuilding while also fighting.

Security experts interviewed certainly have confidence that the army will continue the fight and have better days. Central to this will be the level and quality of leadership and political support they receive, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud exuding confidence that the country would eventually defeat al-Shabaab.

GAROWE ONLINE