MOGADISHU, Somalia – The Commander of the Somali Land Forces, General Dayah Abdi Abdulle, who is on the front line of the war against Al-Shabaab in the Mudug region said the government is still giving the militants a chance to surrender and give up the violence.
As war enters the second phase, General Abdulle called on Al-Shabaab fighters to leave the group after facing defeats on the battlefields, where they faced the Somali national army and the local communities
“I say to Al-Shabaab leaders that the young children you misled and put them on fire will take the amnesty offer and rejoin their families and society,” said General Dayah.
He also praised the role of the local clan fighters in the fight against the Al-Shabaab in most of the country’s regions, mainly in HirShabelle and Galmudug states since last year.
“We are very grateful to you. Let everyone take their responsibility. We will remove these anti-peace elements from the Mudug and other regions,” added General Dayah.
The general’s message comes as Somali forces, backed by locals, continue battling the group in the “total war” he declared on the militants. Government forces have liberated large swathes of territory from the group, mainly in the south-central state of Hirshabelle.
Somalia has been fighting al-Shabab for more than 16 years. The Islamist group carries out deadly attacks in the Horn of Africa nation targeting government officials and African Union peacekeepers.
