...... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...with the government gearing for the second phase of operations against the group, which controls huge chunks of central and southern parts of the country.
General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhiyadin, the Commander of the SNA Force, says the government troops are determined to enter al-Shabaab strongholds ahead of the crackdown against the turbans. The second phase is set to begin in due course according to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
According to him, the troops made it to War Xoolo and Wabxo on Monday morning. The target for the units operating in these western parts of Galgudud is Elbur town. Government troops are also conducting operations in the vicinity of Cawsweyne, one of the largest villages on the eastern side of Galgudud.
The strategic plan of the army is to storm Galhareri, a major al-Shabaab stronghold in central Somalia, reports indicate. The government troops are determined to comb HirShabelle and Galmadug states where the first phase of operations left over 3,000 bully boyz dead.
Combing the area before the final assault in Jubaland and Southwest states is considered one of the most immediate responses by the government of Somalia. The second phase is set to begin sooner, with members of the international community particularly the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] playing a major role.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud believes when Elbur and Galhareri are captured, federal forces will continue to stay in the region until the locals are capable of taking responsibility for the security of their localities. Locals have also been playing a fundamental role in degrading al-Shabaab.