How civil servants will contribute to Al-Shabaab war in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has worked hard to involve all citizens in the fight against Al-Shabaab, in what is geared towards strengthening institutions by degrading the militants who have been causing havoc in the country for nearly 15 years.

Somalia's Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has come up with a new strategy of involving civil servants in the fight against Al-Shabaab, which will see them part with 20 percent of their monthly salary to the teams that are currently fighting the group across the country.

The Ministry of Finance, he said, will directly slash the amount of proposed money and directly deposit it in a separate account which will assist the Somali National Army [SNA] and local militia working overnight to defeat the group which controls most parts of Somalia.

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said the federal government would implement the cuts for three months, and other government workers would also see a 5 percent wage cut. Already, the involvement of local militia has attracted accolades from members of the international community.

Intensive fighting against the militants has been going on in Hiiraan, Galgaduud, and Bay regions, with the Al-Shabaab losing several fighters according to reports by the Somali National Army. A number of soldiers have also lost their lives based on official government records.

This comes as Somalia made a request to the United States African Command to loosen regulations governing drone strikes, noting that Washington should also start targeting militants who pose threat, not necessarily during attacks alone. The US has been chipping in when the Somali army is under attack.

Civil servants have mostly been targeted by Al-Shabaab, who are keen to topple the fragile UN-backed federal government. Besides the civil servants, the militshys have also been carelessly attacking innocent civilians and members of the Armed Forces in that country.

GAROWE ONLINE