Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud appointed Dr. Mohamed Abdi Ware, the former President of Hirshabelle regional state, as his Special Envoy for Stabilization and Civilian Protection on Saturday.
A statement issued by the Somali Presidency said that President’s plan to control civilian casualties is given priority through the appointment of the Envoy, ensuring civilians are not harmed in the areas where operations are conducted to flush out al Shabab from the country.
President Mohamud instructed the armed forces commanders to work closely with the Special Envoy to coordinate efforts to protect civilians and provide critical services to citizens in the areas liberated by the SNA offensive.
The Somali government reported heavy losses inflicted on the militant group during the past six months due to military operations.
According to a statement issued on March 25 by the Ministry of Information, 3,000 al-Shabab militants were killed and 3,700 were injured in the first phase of military operations between August of last year and January.
The government also reported that 70 towns and villages were liberated from al-Shabab.
