The commander of the Somali army rules out the participation of Somalia's neighbors in the second phase of the war against Al-Shabaab

The commander of the Somali army, General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyiddin, ruled out the participation of Somalia's neighbors in the second phase of the war against Al-Shabaab, as was agreed upon with the leaders of these countries last February.

Muhyiddin indicated that the plan for the participation of forces from Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya in military operations is not clear, adding that these countries are not ready at the present time to participate in the war.

The army commander said, "I cannot be certain that the three countries did not participate in the operation, which I called (Black Lion), but I do not see evidence of their participation in the ongoing battle."

He added that the Somali government is waiting for its neighbors to fulfill their commitments, but stressed that the neighboring countries will not be part of the war against the youth movement that Somalia announced recently, noting that his country will rely on itself in the war against the group.