MOGADISHU, Somalia – Galmudug State Minister of Internal Affairs, Omar Mohamed Diriye refuted claims that the war on Al-Shabaab stopped in the country due to failure.
In a Radio Shabelle interview, the minister noted that Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Kariye is now on the front line of the war in Southern Mudug, where he is with the troops.
He said that the people who are spreading fake news are those who do not want to win the combat and defeat Al-Shabaab. Diriye did not mention the names of those people.
This statement comes at a time when the government forces and allied community fighters have slowed down the battle in recent days, leading to rumors that the fighting has halted.
The government is set to announce the start of the ‘2nd phase’ of the counter-insurgency campaign, codenamed the “Operation Black Lion”, in Hirshabelle and Galmudug states.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud relocated the command center of the military operations from Mogadishu to Dhuusamareeb, Galmudug’s regional capital months ago.
Through this bold decision, Mohamud expects to enhance the coordination of the Somali government forces and rally support among the Habar Gedir clan militias from Galmudug state.
The renewed push against al-Shabaab has forced the militants to vacate several remote villages in Galmudug as a defensive measure to avoid casualties. Security forces also left Elbur after a deadly attack on a military base in the nearby Cawsweyne area.
