(07-03-23) Doha, Qatar – Somali President Hassan Sheikh has expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue with the terrorist group Al-Shabaab in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic aired on Tuesday. However, the President has set certain conditions for talks with the group that were not mentioned in the interview.
Last year, President Sheikh stated that the government would only engage in negotiations with Al-Shabaab after the group was militarily defeated. He added that the government was ready to provide an opportunity for young Somalis who fight for Al-Shabaab to return to their country and live peacefully.
The President emphasized that Al-Shabaab cannot be defeated by military force alone and that the government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy that includes military, religious, and economic measures. He also noted that the government had launched an offensive to remove militants from the territory they control three months after he assumed office.
Thanks to a 7-month operation that drove out Al-Shabaab from most of Hirshabelle and Galmudug states, the Somali government is now in control of much of the country. However, the group still maintains control over the entire Middle Jubba region and other strategic areas, from where it orchestrates attacks targeting the capital.
The President’s openness to dialogue with Al-Shabaab has sparked debates in the country, with some questioning the wisdom of negotiating with a group that has committed numerous atrocities. The government’s efforts to defeat the group will undoubtedly require a sustained and multifaceted approach, including dialogue, to address the underlying issues that drive young Somalis to join the group.
