First phase of anti-terror offensives in ‘final stages’: Mohamud
The first phase of the military offensive against Al-Shabaab is in its “final stages”, Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said during a televised question-and-answer session in Mogadishu on Monday.
“The second phase of the military offensive [against Al-Shabaab terrorists] is yet to start as the first phase of the operations enters the final stages,” Mohamud told the audience.
He hailed the Somali forces and allied local clans, known as Macawiisley, for dealing “significant blows to Al-Shabaab in Hirshabelle and Galmudug” in what was the first phase of the offensive.
“In the next phase of the offensive, the focus will be Jubbaland and Southwest states,” he added.
Mohamud’s remarks comes amid conflicting reporting in both state-run and private media on whether the renewed push into the remaining territories still under Al-Shabaab in Galmudug and some pockets of Hirshabelle fall under the first phase of the operations or signal the beginning of the second phase.
Quizzed on the government’s future plans for Macawiisley, Mohamud praised the fighters who he referred to as “community defence forces” for being a “strong pillar” in the ongoing offensive noting that the government has a clear plan to invest in their potential and facilitate their needs, without clarifying.
During the program, Mohamud also defended strong ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid concerns of ‘favouritism’ in the president’s foreign policy approach. The president’s first trip abroad after his election was to the UAE.
The UAE “plays a leading role globally in the fight against terrorism,” the Somali leader said.
“The troops in Mogadishu now praised [for the security of the city] was built and equipped by them [UAE] … unconditionally,” he explained.
The said soldiers were trained in Uganda with UAE’s funding and have been tasked with bolstering security in Mogadishu and contribute to countering terrorist activities.
On Las Anod, a city that has witnessed months of deadly clashes between between forces of breakaway Somaliland and pro-Somalia locals, Mohamud said his government is committed to ensure stability there.
Commenting on relations with Puntland, Mohamud noted that Puntland has its own “opinions” on Somalia’s state-building process but underlined that there are no “clear” differences between the federal government and Puntland, adding that a delegation of leaders of three federal member states will soon visit Garowe for talks with Puntland authorities to understand their “concerns.”
In January, Puntland issued a statement saying it will operate as an “independent” government until the Constitution is completed and a referendum held after reportedly rejecting some of the communique points of National Consultative Council (NCC) last December.
