For over a decade, the terrorist group Al-Shabaab has been a major threat to the people of Somalia. They have terrorized and oppressed most parts of the country, using religion as a cover to justify their evil deeds. But, their reign of terror seems to be coming to an end as the government, with the support of the public, has taken strong measures to weaken the group’s ability to attack and orchestrate their plans.
Thanks to extensive public awareness campaigns by the government and religious scholars, the true colors of Al-Shabaab have been exposed, and their cover of using religion to oppress people has been blown. The government, with the support of locals, has dealt heavy blows to the Khawaarij group, and they have started to disintegrate. This has been evident as the top leaders of Al-Shabaab have targeted each other in many locations, leading to killing each other or imprisonment of prominent members.
Another sign of their disintegration is their inability to come up with a plan to defend the remaining areas they still control. There have been reports of Al-Shabaab surrendering their weapons and hardware to tribal militia in order to seek protection. The national media has received reports of Al-Shabaab addressing the public in areas they control in Gedo, Galguduud, and Bakool. Their speeches are full of despair and confusion, and they are asking the people in those regions to pick up arms and help them defend against the approaching government soldiers. This shows the level of despair within the group.
Senior Al-Shabaab commander KabbaKutukade, who hails from middle Shabeelle, has begun a campaign to woo tribal leaders to join him in the fight against the government. However, the people of middle Shabeelle, just like many other regions, are happy that the dark days of Al-Shabaab rule are over after the government helped them liberate their land. Some of the tribal leaders who were approached by Al-Shabaab for support have talked to the national media, and they vowed to fight Al-Shabaab with everything they have. They cannot accept going back to the oppression era of the terror group.
Security analysts believe that Al-Shabaab is on the run and cannot stand up against the will of the people who are sick and tired of their rule. The government of Somalia, with the help of the people, continues to push hard against the terror group. The financial war has also started to bite hard on Al-Shabaab. The government has successfully closed off the sources of revenue and has frozen their funds and assets.
The first phase of the operation against Al-Shabaab has been a huge success, as two states have been liberated. The second phase is about to begin, and this phase aims to completely dismantle and eradicate the network of the terror group Al-Shabaab. The government is determined to bring peace and stability to the country, and with the support of the people, they are making significant progress in achieving that goal.
The people of Somalia have suffered for far too long under the rule of Al-Shabaab. Their reign of terror has caused immense pain and suffering to the people of the country. But, with the government’s determination to fight against them, and with the people’s support, there is hope that the era of Al-Shabaab’s oppression will soon
come to an end. The government is committed to ensuring that the people of Somalia can live in peace and security, and with the progress that has been made so far, there is reason to be optimistic about the future of the country.
By: Abdiqani
