The Somali government has arrested several military officers responsible for withdrawing military forces from the frontlines in the Galgadud region, which resulted in a setback for the army’s ongoing operations in Galmudug State.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, addressing troops in Mahas district on Tuesday, announced that the accused officers who removed the army from the frontlines would face a military court. However, the president did not disclose the number of arrested officers.
“The soldiers who remained on the frontline are not the same as those who put down their weapons and go to Mogadishu or sold their weapons on the roadside,” President Hassan Sheikh remarked.
Last week, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud acknowledged that the country’s armed forces had retreated from several frontlines following a deadly attack by al-Shabab in the village of Cosweyne in central Somalia.
Reports indicate that government troops retreated from El Dheer, Masagaway, Gal’ad, and Budbud in the Galgadud region after a deadly al-Shabab attack on soldiers in the village of Cosweyne last week.
President Mohamud attributed these retreats to technical errors and emphasized that measures were being taken to raise awareness among the troops and encourage them to return to the frontlines. He also admitted that the attack had significantly impacted the government’s operations.
The al-Qaeda-affiliated armed group al Shabab has been trying to overthrow Somalia’s government in a bloody insurgency to establish a strict interpretation of Shariah law over the country since 2007.
