The revolution against the terrorist group of al-Shabaab is expanding rapidly across the country with the support of the Somali national army and local militants who took their guns against the radical terrorist group after al-Shabaab took cruel and remorseless attacks on innocent people including children.
The newly elected Somali president
called for national war against al-Shabaab immediately after he was elected but
al-Shabaab responded this call with a huge attack in which they seized a very prominent
hotel called Hayat hotel in the capital city of Mogadishu on august 22, they
were fighting inside the hotel for 35 hours despite the efforts of the
different sectors of the Somali security forces to detach the terrorist from
the hotel, more than 40 civilians lost their lives during this attack,
Al-Shabaab claimed the responsibility
of hotel Hayat attack in Mogadishu and they said it is the response of the foolishness
and unplanned battle cry of president Hassan sheikh Mahmoud against them.
The rally against al-Shabaab
begun in the central regions of Somalia after the group massively killed
innocent people who were travelling across the road that connects Hirshabale
and Galmudug state,
These rallies against al-Shabaab
are not new to the country they started many times in different towns and
regions in the country but they never reached the peak they are today because the
strategy of al-Shabaab which is intermediating and oppressing has reached its
highest point which erupted the temper of the civilians due the massacred of
the civilians randomly without having any reason to shed their blood
Between 2013 to 2015 some
clashes between the terror group al-Shabaab and the local inhabitants started
in Lower-Shabelle region, one of the people who led this rally include the
formal mayor of the capital city of Lower-Shabele region (Marka) Mohamed Osman Ali
yarisow, he said their rally was not very strong as the recent one because the government
did not give a supporting hand, he said the clashes started after al-Shabaab
asked for huge amount of money which they call it (zakawat) and anyone who fails
to pay before the deadlines they sat will be slaughtered, those soldiers who
were fighting with al-Shabaab in Lower-Shabele region still exist and their name
is called (Ugaarsato) which means ‘the hunters’ this name was given because their
strategy was Gorilla fighting style in which they used to hunt down al-Shabaab militants in the rural areas.
The second revolution
against al-Shabaab started in 2018 in Middle-Shabele region by a group of
locals who named themselves ‘macawiisleey’ especially in the towns and villages
between Adan-yabaale and Adalle, it was the same one as the one that erupted in
Lower-Shabelle region in 2013 because the government did not bother to involve in
those self-defense rallies.
One of the most prominent
fighters and leaders of this rally in Middle-Shabale was Hibaad Ali Dasar who resided
in the town called Gubaale which is near Adan-yabale, His freedom fighting
suicidal attempts to fight al-Shabaab alone started after al-Shabaab tried to
recruit his 8-year-old son as one of their solders,
Hibaad ali’ story of
freedom fighting was under reported and he did not get the attention and the
support he deserved, he used to take 10 to 15 soldiers of his close relatives when
he wanted to attack but finally al-Shabaab killed him, the formal deputy mayor
of Adalle town mukhtar mohmed kaadheri who was the closest friend of Hibad Ali
Dasar said his attempts to fight with al-Shabaab was suicidal because he was
living inside them and no authority that supported his strive.
All these previous rallies
failed because the government never helped these self-defense attempts of the
locals who lost their fear against al-Shabaab because of the overburdened
pressure they caused to the people.
In June 2022 al-Shabaab
attacked the town called Bahdo which is part of Galmudug state the local people
resisted this attack and they killed around 60 al-Shabaab fighters, in the same
month, they attacked other towns in Hiiran region like Matabaan, Bukurre, Teedale
and also Ade-kibir which is in Galmudug state,
In July 2022 al-Shabaab
burnt down heavy trucks that was carrying Goods to Galmudug state and they
killed 20 people who were travelling with those trucks as a revenge of the retaliation
and the resistant of their brutal attacks in Galmudug and Hirshabele states.
Currently more than 50
towns were captured from al-Shabaab since the beginning of this insurgency
against the terrorist and also more than 200 al-Shabaab fighters died in these
wars in the last 3 months.
The American drones which
are also part of this war killed one of the most wanted al-Shabaab leaders who
was expected to be the top leader of al-Shabaab Abdallah yare who had $3million
bounty on his head.
The Somali government
lost in this war very important security officers including the late Banadir
police chief Farhan Qarole who died in an explosion in the town called Basra
which was captured from al-Shabaab a day before that explosion which claimed
the life of the police officer.
The insurgency against al-Shabaab
is mainly going on the central Somalia regions especially in Hiran and Galmudug,
other Somali federal states are yet to join the revolution although the Devise
for the war is felt across the country.
President Hassan sheikh said
he will focus to eliminate all the income sources of al-Shabaab by stopping the
businessmen in the capital city to stop paying al-Shabaab the money they call ‘zakawat’
which is kind of systematic taxation invented by al-Shabaab, almost all of the
business owners pay this money to al-Shabaab to save their lives because the
consequence of not paying this money is nothing less than death, the government
cannot guarantee the security of the businessmen if they refuse to pay to al-Shabaab
which is also arduous and challenging to
the elimination of the financial sources of this terrorist organization.
Although the battle ground
is expanding day by day there are some tribal elders who live in the areas
controlled by al-Shabaab who are ready to spare their life for al-Shabaab as we
have been seeing recently in the media, I cannot confirm if these tribal elders
are being forced to be presented in the media while heavily armed with guns
provided by al-Shabaab but it is obvious to find some civilians who support al-Shabaab
for what so ever reason.
The prize of the victory
in this ongoing war against al-Shabaab which is intended to eradicate this malevolent
terrorist origination goes to the Somali men and women who are fearlessly ready
to die for the sake of their country and also the current president of Somalia Hassan
sheikh Mahmoud whose main aim is to eliminate al-Shabaab from Somalia.
I sense the sweet smell of victory in this ongoing revolution against al-Shabaab if the Somali national army continue their jihad against this vicious terrorist organization who remorselessly kill the innocent Somali people in the name of our holly Islamic religion.
Date: 20/10/2022
Written by: Ameen Guled