MUGADISHU – Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has urged residents in the Jubbaland regional state to rally behind the Somali government’s efforts to free remaining areas from al-Shabab militants.
Speaking in Kismayo on Monday, the Prime Minister declared that a large-scale military operation is set to start in Jubbaland in the coming weeks, marking the second phase of operations against the militants. even though the first phase didn’t make big gains against Al-shabab milatants.
The Prime Minister disclosed that additional troops would be deployed to areas under the jurisdiction of the Jubbaland regional government, emphasizing the need for support from the local residents.
Last week, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated that the Somali government is committed to expelling the al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab militant group from the country within the following year. This deadline coincides with the impending departure of African Union peacekeepers scheduled for next December.
Since 2008 al-Shabaab Islamist have been waging a brutal insurgency against the Somali government, seeking to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law
