Somalia’s public rally Thursday against the Islamist militant group al-Shabab was a much-needed show of unity, say analysts. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud rallied thousands of people in the capital to support the all-out war on the group he declared last year. The Somali army offensives, backed by local militias and foreign allies, have retaken territories the militants held for years. Analysts say regional politics are undermining the progress.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s call for Somalis to kick out al-Shabab militants from their neighborhoods and remain alert in the war against the Islamists was a welcomed show of unity, say analysts.
Addressing thousands of Somalis at Mogadishu Stadium Thursday, Mohamud said time was up for al-Shabab and that everyone should work to annihilate the group.
He says Benadir region, which includes Mogadishu, should stand against the khawarij, which means a deviation from Islam, and throw out the group's members. Mohamud says they are in your homes, at your neighbors, they rented your houses, their vehicles pass near your homes. From today, he says, he wants everyone to pledge to kick them out like bedbugs.
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