US Ambassador to Somalia, Larry Andre, said that his government strongly supports the collaboration between local militias and government security agencies in their offensive against Al Shabaab in central Somalia.
Ambassador Larry urged the clans to unite and cooperate with the government to keep up the momentum against Al Shabaab. Andre credited this latest uprising as the most successful Somali-led initiative in recent memory.
“We haven’t seen a Somali-led, Somali-initiated offensive against Al Shabab compared to this one. There was a 2019 offensive, but it was not primarily Somali initiated in our judgment. You had the liberation of Mogadishu, which was AMISOM-led at the time. This is easily the greatest offensive and most successful offensive ever, and we say what makes a difference is a combination of the local communities, their uprising supported by Somali security forces.”
Ambassador Andre emphasized that “the clans should put their rivalries aside for their common interest.”
Last month, government forces backed by local militia launched an offensive against the militant group al Shabab in the central regions of Somalia, killing more than 500 militants and liberating over 40 villages.
Earlier this month, Al-Shabaab co-founder, Abdullahi Nadir, was also killed in a US air strike near Jilib, about 370 km (230 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu.
Security analysts predicted that Nadir was set to replace the group’s ailing leader, Ahmed Diriye.
