AU Claims Defeat of al-Shabab in Mogadishu

The African Union military force in Somalia has declared victory over al-Qaida-linked rebels in Mogadishu.   

Predicting that the insurgents will soon be crushed nationwide, senior AMISOM commander General Fred Mugisha declared  "All of Mogadishu is now liberated by Somalia Defense Forces by forces supported by AMISOM." 

General Fred Mugisha said fighters of the Islamist extremist group al-Shabab were expelled from every portion of the Somali capital.

A year ago, al-Shabab controlled virtually all of this city of one.5 million people. The western-backed Transitional Federal Government held a tiny scrap of land surrounding the presidential compound.

But in an 11-month urban guerrilla warfare campaign, the ten,000-strong AMISOM force of mostly Ugandan and Burundian troops systematically cleared out the extremists. During the last few weeks, al-Shabab fighters have fled their last strongholds at the outskirts of town.

Al-Shabab spokesmen have called the retreat a “strategic withdrawal,” but General Mugisha says the pullout marks a big defeat for the rebels.

"There are indicators that show defeat of a set, whether al-Shabab or the other group. One, they lose territory. And so they have lost territory. Two, while you see enemies of that fighting force starting to report back to government, that's a weakness," the overall noted. "It means the balance is changing, and we're commencing to see a number of them reporting to the govt. side."

Reporters who toured the capital over the last two days saw signs of a return to normal after years of al-Shabab control.

The sprawling Bakara Market that was badly damaged in months of fighting last year is once more bustling with commercial activity. Streets are crowded with cars, and a construction boom is underway in the course of the city as crumbling buildings are repaired.

AMISOM officials cautioned, however, that al-Shabab remains a deadly force, and may stage hit-and-run strikes from the agricultural areas where it has fled. Gunfire can be heard echoing in the course of the city after dark, and there are daily reports of explosions and grenade attacks.

Less than a month ago, a feminine suicide bomber struck during ceremonies on the newly-rebuilt national theater, killing two of the country's top sports officials.

Nevertheless, General Mugisha means that the extremists are rapidly losing control nationwide, even inside the traditional rural strongholds to which they've retreated.

"There are still thousands in the market supported by foreign fighters and jihadists, but we expect at this pace, if we continue, it is going to not be long before we see the top of al-Shabab," he said.

With al-Shabab in retreat, AMISOM forces are busy consolidating their control well outside the town limits. Troops are constructing a barrier within the desert outside town to avoid the straightforward movement of al-Shabab forces.

AMISOM officials say the emphasis is now shifting to build up Mogadishu's unarmed and badly understaffed police forces.

As the town returns to normal, police units from other African countries are being dispatched to coach and equip a pro Somali force that may restore order after greater than twenty years of anarchy.

From WhatNewsToday.net

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