UK backs Somalia's war against Al-Shabaab

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The United Kingdom [UK] has reiterated her commitment to helping Somalia to tackle both the ravaging drought and the fight against Al-Shabaab, adding that the current efforts to defeat the militants are highly welcome by the government of Britain.

Already, the UK has provided more than $50 million to the country this year alone, with most being diverted to drought response teams and the Somali National Army [SNA]. The UK trains and equips a number of Somali soldiers with most being trained at Baidoa, the regional administrative capital of Southwest.

In a phone call with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly reiterated that commitment by the United Kingdom to support the fight against violent extremism, adding that Al-Shabaab militants will be dislodged from various strategic areas.

The UK which trains Somali forces in Southwest State vowed to continue to support the fight against the Al-Shabaab terror group. This is one of the few foreign-backed army training camps in addition to US and Turkish training camps in the Horn of Africa nation.

In a tweet, the Foreign Secretary stated: “Important call with Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to discuss the close UK-Somalia partnership”. The Somali president was in London during the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II before returning to the US.

He added: “We continue to support the Somali Government in the fight against al-Shabaab. We’re providing over £50m in UK aid this year to support the Somali people most in need with food, water & healthcare”.

For a couple of months, the Somali National Army with the help of the US Africa Command, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], and local militia has heightened the fight against Al-Shabaab, managing to kill hundreds of the militants in the process.

Besides suffering immense losses on the battlefield, a number of Al-Shabaab militants have been arrested as the combined military teams seized strategic towns in rural central and southern Somalia where the militants are dominant.

On Monday, state media reported that the national army and locals carried out anti-terror operations in Habar-dooy, Daa'uudow, and Qoriile villages under Buur-hakaba town of Baay province, hunting down remnants of Al-Shabaab militants who fled from these areas before the arrival of the troops.

GAROWE ONLINE