Somali National News Agency
So
Ar
Search
  • Home
  • Local News
    Local NewsShow More
    Mogadishu Port Boosts Operational Capacity Following Top African Ranking
    October 2, 2025
    SoDMA Initiates Food Reserve Rehabilitation to Bolster National Resilience
    October 2, 2025
    Somali Cabinet Approves National IED Strategy, New Accountant General
    October 2, 2025
    Ministry of Planning Drives Accountability for International Organizations
    October 2, 2025
    Somalia Joins Regional Effort to Combat Cyber Threats at Riyadh Conference
    October 2, 2025
  • World News
    World NewsShow More
    Five people dead as rescue boat overturns in Pakistan floods
    September 7, 2025
    Landslide kills more than 1,000 in Sudan’s Darfur region, armed group says
    September 2, 2025
    Search for survivors still on after 800 killed in an earthquake in Afghanistan
    September 2, 2025
    An earthquake devastates eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 600 and destroying villages
    September 1, 2025
    Hamas accepts an Arab ceasefire proposal on Gaza as Palestinian death toll passes 62,000
    August 19, 2025
  • Articles
    ArticlesShow More
    The Truth About Al-Qaeda’s Al-Shabaab: A War on Somalia’s Soul
    September 29, 2025
    The Collapse of the Al-Shabaab Militants’ Defenses and Offenses sends Four Clear Messages
    September 15, 2025
    Somalia’s March Toward Fair Elections Gains Momentum with New Political Party Registrations
    September 7, 2025
    The 2025 SCO Summit in Tianjin marks a new era of cooperation and a powerful stride toward a more just and equitable multipolar world.
    September 1, 2025
    Somalia’s Oil and Gas Potential: A New Frontier for Global Energy
    August 29, 2025
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    Somalia Unveils the Blueprint for a Modern and Sustainable Mogadishu
    December 21, 2024
    Djibouti Launches $57.4 Million Youth Entrepreneurship Project to Combat Climate Change
    November 25, 2024
    FM meets Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia
    October 28, 2024
    President Hassan Sheikh Inaugurates New LPG Storage Center in Mogadishu
    May 12, 2024
    Collaboration of ICT transformation for digital Infrastructure
    October 24, 2023
  • Sports
    SportsShow More
    Somali Ambassador to Kenya Congratulates Dekadaha FC on Historic CAF Confederation Cup Victory
    September 28, 2025
    Somalia’s Dekadaha FC faces Sudan’s Alzamala Sports Club in Nairobi
    September 20, 2025
    Mogadishu Stadium to Host Star-Studded Match Featuring Somali Legends and International Football Icons
    May 27, 2025
    Arsenal held at Brighton while Man City bounce-back continues
    January 5, 2025
    Galmudug wins the Inter-State Football Tournament
    January 29, 2024
  • Tenders
    TendersShow More
Reading: Can Somalia’s frontline states eradicate so-called cross-border terrorism before ATMIS exits in 2024?
Share
Font ResizerAa
Somali National News AgencySomali National News Agency
  • SOMALI
  • ARABIC
Search
  • Home
  • Local News
  • World News
  • Articles
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Tenders
Follow US
©2023 || All rights reserved SONNA
Somali National News Agency > Blog > Articles > Can Somalia’s frontline states eradicate so-called cross-border terrorism before ATMIS exits in 2024?
Articles

Can Somalia’s frontline states eradicate so-called cross-border terrorism before ATMIS exits in 2024?

By Abdullahi Hussein
Last updated: March 3, 2023
6 Min Read
Share

OPINION – Can Somalia’s frontline states eradicate so-called cross-border terrorism before ATMIS exits in 2024?

Earlier this year, the top leaders of Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya agreed to begin “Search and destroy” operations to push Al-Shabab militants out of neighboring Somalia.

The move follows an intensified offensive by Somalia’s federal government against the al-Qaeda-affiliated group over the past few months.

It has taken back control of several towns and villages in central Somalia with the help of the U.S. military, allied clan militias, and forces belonging to Somali regional governments.

Kenya’s President William Ruto, Djibouti’s President Ismail Omer Guelleh, and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met their Somali counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu to review measures to weaken Al-Shabaab.

“The summit … agreed to jointly plan and organize a robust operational campaign at the frontline states level, of search and destroy on multiple frontlines aiming at key Al-Shabaab strongholds across the south and central Somalia,” they said in a joint statement.

What to expect?

Speeding up ongoingly targeted and sustained campaigns by the Somali Security Forces (SSF) intends for at degrading the capability of terrorist groups.

Current operations in Somalia, with ATMIS (African Union Transition Mission in Somalia) and SSF in the forefront are directed at “diminishing” al-Shabaab’s operational capability and “Building on the rejection of the terror group by the Somali public”.

We’ve seen the reviewed conclusions reached by a conclave of defense ministers and defense force chiefs from the four states on the importance of coordinated and timely technical, logistical, intelligence, and operational support to accelerate anti-terror operations with the Somali National Army (SNA).

During the summit, leaders present agreed to make a final push for joint operations in the areas still under terrorist control to “completely liberate the whole of Somalia from Al-Shabaab”. This, in turn, will facilitate the drawdown of ATMIS troops and the gradual handover of security responsibility ties to the SSD. The leaders applauded “significant progress” in Somalia with more regions recovered by SSF in conjunction with ATMIS troops.

“They (the leaders) were all in common agreement on progress to rebuild and modernize Somalia’s security forces through unified efforts of force generation, capability development and support with firepower and multiplies,” the Kenya statement said.

Somali leaders want lethal and non-lethal support to equip the new SNA units and enhance the firepower of current SNA operational units the summit heard in addition to endorsing the East African country’s “quest to completely lift an arms embargo by the end of 2023”.

The Summit, the Kenya Defence Ministry statement has it, came at a crucial moment as security forces in Somalia continue to liberate more areas that have been under Al-Shabaab to enable the federal government to enhance service delivery and extend its authority. The importance of establishing a joint border security mechanism to eliminate cross-border terrorism activities and ensure the legal passage of trade and movement was stressed.

The Way-forward
To avoid the recapture of AS in the liberated areas, it is important to resume life and basic services in the liberated areas and ensure their safety.

Economically, this campaign costs millions of dollars, so Somalia’s frontline state should ask for friendly, financial, and military assistance from militarily more advanced countries to finalize the ops in a short period.

The punctuality of the fourth phase of ATMIS (Liquidation and removal) will encourage the acceleration of “search and destroy” operations, and may be enough for the rest of the time, I think.

Civilian Casualties

As usual, any operation to liberate the areas controlled by the AS can be weakened as the government ensures that some operations are harmed by the civilians living under the areas controlled by the AS.

Earlier, President Mohamud told to Up-front program from Aljazeera that there are civilian casualties caused by airstrikes targeting AS leaders, but the government should do its best to avoid harm to the public, especially when the airstrikes are carried out during the fight against terrorism.

It is important that “search and destroy” operations are very cautious not to destroy civilians, their livestock, or their farms.

In conclusion, I think that all the things pointed out above are the most critical for the enactment of SFSS2023 plans and the search for economic and military consolidation in the world.

The opinions of this commentary are solely those of the author.

Roble Idle – Think Tank
Email: Roble2003@yahoo.com

Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp Email Copy Link Print

MORE NEWS

Ode to Yan’an: How a Song Inspired Chinese Youth During Wartime

ArticlesCulture
August 19, 2025

Kenya’s small farmers find respite in avocados amid changing climate

NAIROBI(SONNA) As crop diseases and pests rise in Kenya amid a rapidly changing climate that…

March 11, 2023

Mogadishu Port Boosts Operational Capacity Following Top African Ranking

MOGADISHU – The Mogadishu Port, a vital lifeline for Somalia's economy, has taken a significant…

October 2, 2025

Nimcaan Hilaac appointed to lead Waberi National Band

Mogadishu (SONNA)-Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Mohamed…

March 3, 2020

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Ivory Coast to Host World Transhumanist Congress for the First Time in Africa

Abidjan, (SONNA) – For the first time on African soil, Ivory Coast will host the prestigious World Transhumanist Congress, scheduled…

Articles
July 3, 2025

President Hasan Sheikh Launches Innovative Campaign to Defend Country with a Dollar

In the face of multiple challenges, including severe drought and limited resources, Somalia's President Hasan Sheikh has launched a bold…

Articles
February 14, 2023

Hope on the Horizon: Ending Al-Shabaab’s Reign of Terror in Somalia

In the past, Somalia has been plagued by the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, which has dominated large portions of the country…

Articles
April 13, 2023

A 54-year-old Mawisley man ready to revenge Al-Shabaab after amputating his leg, arm earlier

Mahas(SONNA)-Abdi Elmi, a 54-year-old Mawisley man is still ready to pursue fight and revenge from Al-Shabaab terrorists after amputating his…

ArticlesLocal News
October 2, 2023

Somali National News Agency established in 1964. It is one of the main pillars of the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism.

  • Home
  • Local News
  • World News
  • Articles
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Tenders
  • SNTV
  • RADIO MOGADISHU
  • DALKA JOURNAL
  • TOURISM DEPARTMENT

Follow US: 

  • MoICT
  • VILLA SOMALIA
  • OPM SOMALIA

All rights reserved SONNA

©2023

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?