A joint “search and destroy” military campaign against the Somali al-Shabab Islamic militant group has been agreed upon by the leaders of Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya. The group has carried out attacks in the region, including firing mortars near the Mogadishu venue where officials met on Wednesday.
After the meeting in the capital of Somalia, the four heads of state issued a joint communiqué stating that the operation would “prevent any future infiltrating elements into the wider region.” The four nations’ joint communiqué from Wednesday read, “The Summit agreed to make the final push for joint operations in the areas that remain under the terrorists to completely liberate the whole of Somalia from Al-Shabab.” These nations’ soldiers are a part of the Africa Union’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia. The most significant offensive against the al-Shabab extremist group in over a decade is currently being carried out by the Somali government.
Through brazen attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere, Al-Shabab’s thousands of fighters have slowed the country’s recovery from decades of conflict. All commercial flights were halted during the heads of state’s visit on Wednesday, and the streets of Mogadishu, which are frequently the target of attacks, were closed off with limited movement amid extensive military patrols. Even then, witnesses said that mortar rounds hit the presidential residence before the meetings started, but no one was hurt. The assault was claimed by Al-Shabab.
The meeting, according to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia, “reaffirms our resolve to permanently rid our region of terrorism.” William Ruto, the president of Kenya, stated that the “collective effort in anti-terrorism” was making peace possible. The decision to establish a joint operations mechanism to coordinate the fight against al-Shabab has been made by leaders in the region.
According to a Western humanitarian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to speak publicly, close to 100 villages have been retaken from al-Shabab in the past six months, more territory than in the previous five years. The official stated, “It took us all by surprise because it was very organic.” In Somalia’s worst drought on record, local communities revolted against al-Shabab’s harsh taxation. The local militia fighters in the offensive were quickly supported by the government of Somalia.
Even though the government of Somalia says it will get rid of al-Shabab, some observers think it will be hard. The humanitarian official stated, “Al-Shabab has demonstrated that it can be effective without holding territory.”
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