Ministry of Defence Rejects ICG Report for Distorting Somalia's Counter-Terrorism Efforts

Mogadishu(SONNA)-The Ministry of Defence of the Federal Government of Somalia categorically rejects the claims made in the 30 June 2026 International Crisis Group (ICG) report on Somalia's fight against Al-Shabaab. The report is regrettably flawed, fundamentally unbalanced, and presents a distorted account of Somalia's counter-terrorism campaign.

The notion that Al-Shabaab has voluntarily become more responsive, more pragmatic, or somehow less coercive is not only false but an affront to the thousands of Somali civilians, soldiers, elders, religious leaders, women and children who have been murdered, maimed, displaced, and terrorised by this brutal terrorist organisation.

Al-Shabaab did not suddenly choose to reduce its brutality. It was rather forced to adapt due to relentless military pressure from the Somali National Armed Forces, the bravery of the Somali people, and the steadfast support of Somalia's international partners. Every reduction in the group's ability to extort businesses, terrorise communities, collect illegal extortion revenues, and operate freely is the direct result of sustained government operations and not a voluntary transformation by a terrorist movement.

The report fails to acknowledge one undeniable fact: today's Mogadishu is safer because Somali security forces fought for it. Somali soldiers shed their blood to liberate communities, dismantle terrorist networks, eliminate senior operatives, and deny Al-Shabaab the freedom it once enjoyed. To portray the group's tactical adjustments while downplaying these sacrifices is both intellectually dishonest and morally indefensible.

Equally concerning is the report's attempt to humanise one of Africa's deadliest terrorist organisations by portraying tactical adaptation as evidence of improved governance or greater concern for civilians. Such narratives risk advancing Al-Shabaab's propaganda objectives by sanitising the crimes of an outfit responsible for decades of mass murder, suicide bombings, forced recruitment of children, extortion, sexual violence, and the destruction of Somali livelihoods. No amount of analytical reframing can erase these crimes or confer legitimacy on a terrorist organisation.

Constructive analysis should never come at the expense of truth. Research institutions carry a responsibility to ensure that their publications do not inadvertently lend credibility to violent extremist groups or diminish the sacrifices of those fighting them.

The Federal Government of Somalia remains unwavering in its commitment to defeating Al-Shabaab. We pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of the Somali National Armed Forces, our security institutions, local communities, and our international partners whose collective efforts have transformed Somalia's security landscape and continue to protect our nation's future.

History will remember that Somalia's progress was earned through sacrifice and not granted by the goodwill of terrorists.