Djibouti pledges cooperation in Al-Shabaab war in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The government of Djibouti has pledged close cooperation in the fight against Al-Shabaab within the federal republic of Somalia, which could help the country permanently annihilate the militants, who control large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia.

On Monday, Abdulqadir Mohamed Noor, the Defense Minister of the federal government of Somalia, held a meeting with his Djiboutian counterpart Hassan Omar Mohamed where the enhanced bilateral relationship between the two countries was extensively discussed.

Also in the meeting was Djibouti’s Armed Forces boss Sakarie Sheikh Ibrahim, a close supporter of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], in which Djibouti has close to 3,500 soldiers serving, and who has been instrumental in operations against the group in Hiiraan region.

During the meeting, state media reported, Nor thanked the government of Djibouti for the support they have given the federal republic of Somalia in the fight against terrorism. Djibouti's army has often been attacked by Al-Shabaab on several fronts.

Although Djibouti has not been lately facing threats from the Al-Shabaab, the government of Omar Ismail Guelleh has been working closely with other security stakeholders to completely eliminate the Al-Shabaab. The United States army has a base in Djibouti.

For his part, Mr. Burhan said that the government and the people of Djibouti are fully supporting the struggle of the people and the forces of the Somali National Army are clearing out Al-Shabaab terrorists from the country, state media reported.

“Therefore, Djibouti State is committed to helping the government of Somalia in ensuring security and fighting terrorism,” he asserted in reference to the fight against Al-Shabaab, who have lately lost strategic towns in the Horn of Africa nation.

Somalia has been calling for military assistance in the fight against Al-Shabaab, with the government also resorting to shaking the ideological narrative by dismembering the group's propaganda network which had previously capitalized on the ignorance of the people.

GAROWE ONLINE