(01 April 2024) MOGADISHU (Halqabsi News) — The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) operating in South West State has displayed up to ten defectors from Al-Shabaab who surrendered to government forces in Baidoa. The defectors were displayed in Baidoa, where they detailed various reasons for their desertion, predominantly citing the urgency to take advantage of the president’s announced amnesty for defectors and the harsh living conditions in Al-Shabaab-controlled areas.
All of the defectors reportedly belonged to the military wing of Al-Shabaab and represented the first group of this size to surrender at once to government forces. The mass defection underscores a growing trend of defections from Al-Shabaab, attributed to a range of factors, including intensified counter-operations and dire living conditions in the territories under its control.
Halqabsi News
