IB TIMES
By Jane Zawadi
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Terrorism has been a sharp thorn in the feet of both Kenya and Somalia with Somalia-based al-Shabaab militants causing havoc in the two states but with a new ally lining up to offer support, optimism is now riding high.
It being reported by UK’s International Business Times that Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke met with Russian officials on Tuesday, April 19 and asked the military-strong country to help equip its armed forces to fight terrorism as al-Shabaab continues to up its game.
The Somalia government officials also asked for Russia’s help in strengthening its dwindling economy.
“Support in peacekeeping operations is one of the possible aspects of strengthening our armed forces. It is highly important for us to strengthen our law enforcement agencies to fight terrorism. Therefore, we would like to request such support from you,” Sharmarke asked Sergei Lavrov the Russian foreign minister.
Lavrov said Russia was positive on the issue of offering military support by working together with the government of Somalia in combating terrorism.
“I know that during your visit to Russia, you would like to talk in particular about equipping the Somali security forces with all that is necessary to fight terrorists,” Lavrov said.
Somalia continues to receive the backing of Kenya in its operation against the terror group through the country’s ‘Operation Linda Nchi’ which came into effect on October 16, 2011.
The Kenyan forces reached milestones when it removed al-shabaab militants from their bases in southern Somalia including their financial backbone the port town of Kismayu on September 29 2012.
Other major allies working with Somalia in the fight against al-Shabaab include the Africa collective Amisom forces, as well as the US government and the neighbouring Ethiopia.
Al-Shabaab was formed in 2006 and has its roots in the now-defunct Islamic Courts Union, which once steered Somalia’s commercial capital Mogadishu.
The militant group has been fierce and has launched its own insurgency on major Somali cities in 2009, taking control of Mogadishu and southern Somalia.