How Int'l partners helped Somalia make gains against Al-Shabaab

MOGADISHU, Somalia - President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud conceded that the gains in the war against Al-Shabaab are attributed to the international community, which played a key role both militarily and financially, helping the Somali army to retake key areas.

A report released by the federal government of Somalia indicated that the SNA with the help of US Africa Command, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] and local militia, managed to kill over 3,000 Al-Shabaab militants during the first phase of operations against the group.

Hassan Sheikh says the support to the government of Somalia has also made it possible for the national army to make its own arrangements in pursuit of Al-Shabaab whose traces are dominant in central and southern Somalia. The first phase focused on Galmadug and HirShabelle states.

Last month, U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Larry André praised the Somali government's military operations against al-Shabab, stating that the Somali-led offensives had restored Somalia's sovereignty to one-third of the territory formerly misruled by the militant group.

Previously, Hassan Sheikh said, the international community's support was minimal because of the government's non-committal attitude in the fight against Al-Shabaab. The international community started pumping resources when the government activated the first phase of operations against the group.

Already, the President reached out to Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia for support in the second phase of operations against Al-Shabaab, with the three countries pledging to send additional troops. The troops will be serving under the command of the Somali National Army for a period of three months, he said.

The next phase will also focus on Jubaland and Southwest states according to President Hassan Sheikh, and the proximity of the states to Ethiopia and Kenya will even make the war more intense. Al-Shabaab was neutralized from the capital, Mogadishu resolving to return to villages.

Besides the military operations, the government is also targeting Al-Shabaab's revenue sources which have helped the group to support her operations. Already, a number of bank accounts and mobile money transfer firms linked to the group have been closed down by the government of Somalia.

Further, the government has also reverted to ideological tactics which include the involvement of the clerics in denouncing violent extremism. The government of Somalia has expressed optimism that by the end of this year, the group would have lost significant territories.

GAROWE ONLINE