Tuesday April 4, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Somali government announced the capture of two alleged Al-Shabaab leaders who surrendered in the Eeldheer district of the Galgaduud region.
The Somali government reported that the Al-Shabaab defectors, Hussein Dahir Maalin (Dhagey) and Alas Ibrahim Ahmed Barre, voluntarily turned themselves in to government forces in the Eeldheer district. In a state media interview, they cited multiple issues, including hunger and thirst, in the Galgaduud region where Al-Shabaab operates. Additionally, they stated they could no longer tolerate Al-Shabaab's practices, which they claimed were beyond the limits of their religion.
The Somali government has made progress against Al-Shabaab, particularly in central Somalia, by capitalizing on local dissatisfaction with the group to form alliances with clan militias. This joint campaign has driven militants from a significant portion of territory in the country's centre, reestablishing the government's presence in areas previously controlled by Al-Shabaab for a decade or more. Troops are preparing to move into the insurgency's southern strongholds.
The Somali government also reported that its forces had successfully surrounded Al-Shabaab's strongholds in the eastern Galgaduud and southern Mudug regions, where those who fled during the first phase of the country's liberation operation are currently based.
The defections come amid biting drought as Somalia and neighbouring Ethiopia, and Kenya are facing a sixth consecutive failed rainy season, exacerbating the hunger crisis in the region. The United Nations and its partners have called the situation "extremely critical," with more than 6 million people hungry in Somalia alone.
The United Nations and its partners have called the situation "extremely critical," with more than 6 million people hungry in Somalia alone. A recent report estimates that 43,000 people died amid Somalia's longest drought on record last year, with half of them likely being children under five years old. The report also forecasts that between 18,000 and 34,000 people could die in the first six months of this year due to the ongoing drought.