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Shabaab weakening, says Somalia envoy



Somali Ambassador Mohamed Ali Nur at Shimo La Tewa Prison, Mombasa, on Saturday. He addressed Somalis serving jail terms.


Tuesday, October 07, 2014

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The al Shabaab is now desperate and losing more ground after the recent liberation of key towns by Somali troops backed by African Union peacekeepers, Ambassador Mohamed Ali Nur has said. Speaking in Mombasa on Saturday during a talk show on Radio Salaam, Nur said Amisom troops have defeated the group and taken over strategic towns. He said the recapture of Barawe, the last major port held by the al Shabaab and a key source of revenue for the Islamist militia, is a clear setback for the group’s activities.

“We believe in the next few weeks we are going to liberate most of the area that used to be under their control. The al Shabaab is on the run and they are going to lose. People want peace and stability,” Nur said. According military sources, the loss of Barawe is a major blow to al Shabaab. This comes one month after their supreme leader Ahmed Abdi Godane was killed in a US air strike.

A senior Kenyan military officer told the Star the fall of Barawe will hamper logistics operation of the militant group. Nur said Somalia is working with Kenya to ensure their borders are properly patrolled to prevent the fighters from sneaking back into the two countries. Police spokesman Masoud Mwinyi said the government has heightened surveillance at the Kenya-Somalia border in Lamu and northern Kenya to avert crossborder invasion by the insurgents. Mwinyi told the Star yesterday that security agencies are on high alert.

 

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