Somalia’s Leaders Vow to Continue Battling Shabab Militants

Abdi Dahir
Monday, August 28, 2023

A unanimous decision was reached by members of Somalia’s National Consultative Council to proceed with a large-scale military campaign against the al-Qaeda-associated al-Shabab extremist organization. This operation commenced in August of the previous year.

On Sunday, the council, consisting of leaders from the federal government and regional states, congregated in the central town of Dhusamareb to deliberate on combating the aforementioned group.

In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), the presidency announced that the leaders pledged to harmonize efforts in this offensive and “align it with the national counter-terrorism strategy” with the ultimate objective of putting an end to the prolonged insurgency fostered by this entity.

The leaders expressed intentions to establish a “collective command structure” responsible for overseeing military actions against the militants.

The meeting took place shortly after the army successfully captured a vital al-Shabab stronghold in the central Galgudud region, constituting a significant setback for the group, as reported by local media outlets.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has unwaveringly vowed to vanquish the extremist organization prior to the conclusion of 2023.