Somalia: Killings and destructions can’t stop Al-Shabab, Prime Minister laments

Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hamza Abdi Barre, has lamented that killings and destructions could not stop ideologies and terrorist groups such as Al-Shabab in Somalia.

Barre made the remarks during a town-hall meeting held in Somali capital, Mogadishu.

The event was to mark the two-year anniversary of the formation of his cabinet in August, which took place on October 6, 2024.

One of the most issues raised at the event was the offensive against al-Shabab, launched in the fall of 2022.

The Prime Minister said: “Nowadays, we are not just defending our cities; we are pushing back against al-Shabab in their own territories.

Barre added that some 215 villages and towns have been recaptured by government forces.

The Somali government said it has made meaningful gains in its war on al-Shabab.

However, the separate tactics it has used have not only undermined its war effort but also affects instability in the country, perpetuating bloodshed rather than stemming it.

Arming clan militias was a mistake

Government’s aggression against al-Shabab was announced shortly after the group’s attack on a hotel in Mogadishu in August 2022 that led to 21 deaths.

One of the strategies deployed by the government was to arm tribal militias who would fight side by side with the Somali army.

In the beginning, these militias played a key role in the military campaign that drove al-Shabab out of large swaths of territory in the Hirshabelle and Galmudug states.

The use and empowerment of tribal militiamen, also known as “macawisley”, was initially approved by Somalia’s international partners.

This according to reports, was due to the territorial profits made. Unfortunately, it divided Somali even more.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) learnt that this is because the government armed and provided financial support to militias from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s clan and others close to him.

This, according to observers, was not only short-sighted but detrimental to efforts to establish social cohesion in the country.

Under the pretense of fighting al-Shabab, the president alienated many communities and turned neighbours, friends and countrymen against each other.

Sooner, the newly recruited armed tribal militias started terrorising the same civilian population that they were entrusted with liberating.

Settling old scores linked to territorial disputes and control over grazing land and water resources became common occurrence.

Banditry is also widespread.

Illegal roadblocks where people are extorted in order to pass also became common across the country.

Consequently, instead of dealing with the threat of al-Shabab in the country, Mogadishu is now facing threats from different armed groups.

Some of them arose from clans at odds with the Somali president.

The government is blamed for the worsening security situation in the country and the unravelling of the war effort.

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