More than 100 Al-Shabaab defectors surrender to Somalia government
Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks during his inauguration ceremony in Mogadishu on June 9, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Since his re-election in May last year, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has waged serious assault on Al-Shabaab.
- First phase of the fight saw the government reclaiming several towns and regions where the group had been control for more than 15 years.
The Federal government of Somalia has announced that more than 100 members of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab have surrendered.
The Senior Advisor to the President and Director of Tubsan (the Right Path) National Center for Counter Terrorism and PCVE Abdillahi Mohamed Noor, who spoke to the media in Mogadishu, confirmed that 107 former members of the Al-Qaeda-linked group have defected and surrendered to the government.
The defectors are from Hirshabelle, Galmudug, South West and Jubbaland States of Somalia, and they include very young children who were conscripted, women and senior leaders of the militia group.
Denounce terrorism
According to Tubsan National Center housed by the office of the Prime Minister of Somalia, the defectors have taken advantage of the National amnesty bill and all will be processed through Third Generation DDR programme for the Combatants and in line with the bill will theresfter be reintegrated to the community.
The Office of the National Center for CT/PCVE has asked more members of the terrorist groups to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the Amnesty Act for people who have surrendered to the Government of Somalia and denounce terrorism.
Senior Advisor to the President of Somalia and Director of Tubsan National Center for Counter Terrorism and PCVE Abdillahi Mohamed Noor.
"All parents whose children have been misled or suspect that their children are under pressure to join the Kharijite groups (Al-Shabaab) are encouraged to contact us to help protect their children," the office said.
Reclaimed towns
This comes at a time when the Federal Government of Somalia, with the support of local Defence forces ( Maawisley), has intensified its efforts to uproot the group from its strongholds in the country.
Since his re-election in May last year, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has waged serious assault on Al-Shabaab which had grown strong in the years before his election.
The first phase of the fight saw the government reclaiming several towns and regions where the group had been control for more than 15 years.
There is also an ongoing plan for the second phase of the operation where troops from the neighbouring countries, including Kenya, are expected to take part.
