MOGADISHU, Somalia— A strategically vital bridge near the town of Afgoye has been rebuilt months after Al-Shabaab militants destroyed it, restoring a critical artery for security forces, trade and civilian movement in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region.
The span, located by Sabiid and Anole villages about 35 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, was blown up in June as militants retreated amid intensified operations by Somali government troops backed by the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). The Turkish government financed and carried out the reconstruction to expedite the flow of people, goods and reinforcements to the front lines, Somali officials said.
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Senior officials, including Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi and Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali, presided over the inauguration. “Minister of Defence H.E. Ahmed Moalim Fiqi and Interior Minister H.E. Ali Yusuf Ali officially inaugurated the reconstructed Sabiid and Anole bridge today,” state media said in a statement. “Destroyed by terrorists earlier this year, the bridge’s restoration marks a crucial step in the Federal Government’s commitment to enhancing security, boosting the local economy, and restoring freedom of movement for the region’s communities.”
The bridge is one of five key crossings over the Shabelle River that government forces, with AUSSOM support, have fought to secure and hold during the campaign against Al-Shabaab. The riverine belt is a strategic corridor for commercial traffic into Mogadishu and for military logistics across Lower Shabelle, one of the country’s most contested and economically important regions.
In June, Somali National Army units, operating alongside AUSSOM, retook Sabiid and Anole after heavy fighting. Officials said militants destroyed infrastructure — including the bridge and a telecommunications mast — as they withdrew. At the time, commanders signaled intentions to secure additional crossings at Awdhegle and Barire to further degrade the insurgents’ mobility and revenue networks.
The reopening of the Sabiid–Anole bridge is expected to relieve months of disruption faced by traders and residents who rely on the route for market access, health services and humanitarian assistance. It also strengthens supply lines for Somali forces continuing operations in the region, where Al-Shabaab has sought to destabilize governance and undermine efforts by the United Nations-backed federal government to reassert authority.
The reconstruction, enabled by Turkish support, underscores the role of international partnerships in Somalia’s stabilization drive. It also reflects the federal government’s push to pair military gains with immediate infrastructure recovery to consolidate control and restore public confidence following years of insecurity.
Authorities at the launch vowed to press on against remaining Al-Shabaab positions. The group, which aims to overthrow the federal government, has continued asymmetric attacks even as it loses ground in conventional engagements. Officials pointed to the bridge’s reopening as both a tactical gain for ongoing operations and a practical lifeline for communities long isolated by violence and damaged roads.
With the crossing back in service, local leaders and security officials say they expect faster movement of goods, reduced transport costs and improved access for farmers and traders along the Afgoye corridor — outcomes they argue are essential to sustaining momentum against insurgents and supporting civilians caught between conflict and economic strain.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
