In order to maintain security and prevent potential attacks by Al Shabaab, federal Somali and Galmudug forces have implemented a curfew in the Harardhere district of Mudug. At a recent meeting of security officials, it was decided that all traffic and social activities will be suspended from 6 pm until dawn. Additionally, all troops, except for officers on active duty, are required to remain in their barracks during the curfew.
To further strengthen security measures, the authorities have made it mandatory for anyone who had previously joined Al Shabaab and is now returning to Harardhere to visit the police station for a security check. Last month, a military court in Mogadishu sentenced three traditional clan elders to five years in prison for traveling to the then-Shabaab-held Harardhere district and cooperating with the group. The traditional elder was arrested in late December after defying a government directive not to contact or cooperate with Al Shabaab militants.
The recent capture of the district capitals of Harardhere and El Dheere by anti-Al Shabaab forces, including US-trained special forces, on January 16 and 17, respectively, represents a significant symbolic and military victory for the forces. Somali government forces had been unable to enter Harardhere town since Al Shabaab took control in 2008. Furthermore, the capture of Harardhere and El Dheere has cut off Al Shabaab’s two largest ports on the central coast of Somalia, severely limiting the group’s supply and smuggling lines and hindering its activities in central Somalia.
