Somalia leads fight against al-Shabab
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Enough was enough. For 13 years, extremists with alQaida’s East Africa affiliate had controlled Mohamud Adow’s village in central Somalia, imposing harsh ideology and arresting local teachers and traditional leaders.
Then, word came that Somali forces in a surprising national offensive had expelled the fighters from nearby villages.
A small group of residents sneaked out one night in August to meet with Somali troop commanders and invited them into their village of Rage- El. Mr, Adow, 80, was among those taking up arms, joining a local militia fighting alongside Somali forces in rural battles with battered guns.
In what is being called “total war” by the government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s that was elected in May, Mr. Adow and others across the Horn of Africa nation are being encouraged to stand up to the al-Shabab extremists who have long embedded in Somali society, exploiting clan divisions and extorting millions of dollars a year from businesses and farmers in their quest to impose an Islamic caliphate.
On Thursday, Somalia’s government announced a “people’s uprising” as it seeks to pressure al-Shabab from all angles. It’s being described as the most significant offensive against the alShabab extremist group in more than a decade. And this time, Somali fighters are in the lead, backed by U.S. and African Union forces.
Al-Shabab’s thousands of fighters have held back the nation’s recovery from decades of conflict by carrying out brazen attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, and elsewhere. Over the years, countries from Turkey to China to those in the European Union have invested in military training and other counterterrorism support.
Last weekend, the U.S. made a small but symbolic donation of $9 million in heavy weapons and equipment to the Somali National Army.