In Somalia, Horn of Africa leaders agree on ‘final push’ against Al-Shabaab

The Heads of State of the Horn of Africa announced on Wednesday 1^er February, their desire to give a “final impulse” to “completely liberate” Somalia of the radical Chabab Islamists, targeted in recent months by a vast Somali military offensive.

A summit on the fight against this group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, which has been waging a bloody insurgency for more than fifteen years, brought together Somali President Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud on Wednesday, his Djiboutian and Kenyan counterparts, Ismaïl Omar Guelleh and William Ruto, and the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Mogadishu, the Somali capital.

“The Summit agrees to give the final impetus to joint operations in areas that remain in the hands of terrorists and to completely liberate the whole of Somalia from the Al-Shabaab”, announced these leaders in a press release. Participants are “agreed to jointly plan and mount a powerful multi-pronged search and destroy (…) campaign of Al-Shabaab targeting its main strategic strongholds in southern and central Somalia”they add, pointing out that “this urgent campaign will prevent any infiltration of future Al-Shabaab elements into the wider region”.

Engaged in a “total war” Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud has launched a military offensive in recent months against these Islamists, who have been fighting the federal government supported by the international community since 2007. Driven out of the main cities of the country in 2011-2012, they remain firmly established in vast rural areas and carry out deadly attacks in Somalia and neighboring Kenya.

“Historic” victory

In September 2022, the president had sent the army to support local militias, known as the “macawisley”, who had revolted against the Shabab. This offensive, supported by the African Union force in Somalia (Atmis) – in which Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti participate – and American airstrikes, has made it possible to reconquer vast territories in the center of the country. The Somali army notably announced on January 17 that it had taken over, without a fight, the port of Harardhere, controlled since 2010 by the Chababs, in a victory described as a“historical”.

But the Al-Shabaab continue to carry out bloody attacks, underscoring their ability to strike at the heart of Somali cities and government and military installations.

On October 29, two car bombs exploded in Mogadishu, killing 121 people and injuring 333 others, in the country’s deadliest attack in five years.

On January 22, at least six people were killed in a four-hour attack on the mayor’s office in Mogadishu, days after seven soldiers were killed at a military camp in a town recently retaken by the military.

Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud announced at the end of December that new contingents of Somali soldiers, trained in Eritrea, would be deployed as part of anti-shabab operations.