MOGADISHU, Somalia (KAAB TV) – Somalia’s terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, has announced its intentions to establish an Islamic Sharia government once African Union (AU) forces withdraw from the country, according to a spokesperson for the group.
On Saturday, the militants raided a Somali government forces base in Ceeldheer, claiming to have killed 59 soldiers and looted weapons. The attack marks another violent episode in the group’s prolonged insurgency against the Somali state.
“The 20-year jihad war is coming to an end soon. You can see that they are loudly declaring that they want to flee the country and vacate their major bases where they have been stationed,” Al-Shabaab spokesman Abdiaziz Abu Mus’ab said in a recorded audio broadcast on the group’s media, referring to the ongoing drawdown of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) forces.
The spokesman further stated that Al-Shabaab is ready to impose a Taliban-style rule in Somalia.
“It is the end of the disbelievers’ word. For more than 30 years, they have been occupying our country with different invasions and interventions, and our country could not be stable. God willing, there will be a safe and peaceful country, and an Islamic government will be implemented in the country after they leave,” said Abu Mus’ab.
“The problems and wounds of the past will be resolved then,” he added.
This announcement is the first of its kind from Al-Shabaab, outlining their post-ATMIS withdrawal plans explicitly.
However, the declaration did not come as a complete surprise. Last month, Kenyan President William Ruto warned that terrorists would take over Somalia if ATMIS forces withdrew entirely.
“Our position is that the United States should step in and change the trajectory. Otherwise, we will exit ATMIS troops and the terrorists will take over Somalia. I don’t think it is in anybody’s interest for that to happen,” Ruto emphasized during a press conference at the White House, hosted by U.S President Joe Biden.
Ruto highlighted concerns that the withdrawal decision is based on predetermined dates rather than the actual security conditions in Somalia.
Similar conclusions were made by security experts and analysts in the region.
In Mogadishu, Hussein Sheikh Ali, the national adviser of Somalia, expressed a lack of awareness regarding a viable solution to this impending issue.
“Some people like to happen that; Al-Shabaab take over of Somalia. But I do not think there is a comparison between Al-Shabaab and Taliban of Afghanistan. While Taliban was a well formed government before 9/11, the Al-Shabaab are not prepared like that,” he stated during an interview with Universal Somali TV.
Execution of Four Alleged “CIA Spies”
Adding to the turmoil, on Monday, Al-Shabaab executed four men in a public place in Kuntu Waarey town in the Lower Shabelle region.
The men were accused of being CIA spies.
The four individuals, all Somali nationals, had been detained by the terror group. An Al-Shabaab judge sentenced them to death, a common practice for the group’s adversaries.
Due to the group’s strict control over its territories, no independent journalists or lawyers can visit Al-Shabaab-controlled areas, and its courts remain inaccessible.