Somalia president says army will begin anti-al-Shabaab offensive

Mohamud who is expected to be inaugurated on Thursday, June 9 has promised during his election campaign he will to liberated the whole country from Al-Shabaab and hold a popular election in 4 years.

News Keydmedia Online
7 June 2022

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The newly elected Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud instructed the military commanders to prepare an offensive against Al-Shabaab during his visit to the Ministry of Defense.

The president held a meeting with the defense minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur and army chief Gen Odowa Yusuf Rageh to discuss the combat preparation as Somalia faces drought turning into a famine.

Mohamud who is expected to be inaugurated on Thursday, June 9 has promised during his election campaign he will to liberated the whole country from Al-Shabaab and hold a popular election in 4 years.

The leaders of Uganda, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and other international dignitaries will arrive in Mogadishu on Thursday the participation in the inaugural event under tight security.

With the support of U.S. and AU troops, Somalia has been at war with Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda’s most powerful ally in East Africa for a decade, however, the weak Federal Government failed to win the war.

The new leader, who returned to power after five years said he is optimistic to defeat Al-Shabaab and restore peace and security to Somalia beset by three decades of conflict, terrorism, and lawlessness.

Last month, the U.S. president has signed an executive order to return American troops to Somalia after his predecessor Donald Trump pulled them out of the Horn of Africa nation before leaving the White House.

At least 500 U.S. special operations forces are set to foot in Somalia to resume training and advising Danab brigade soldiers who are their eyes and ears of the counter-terrorism and air raids on Al-Shabaab.

KEYDMEDIA English