Somali Opposition Blames President for Al-Shabaab Resurgence, Warns of Electoral Chaos  

MOGADISHU, Somalia - President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud should be held responsible for the Al-Shabaab surge in various parts of the country, the opposition leaders said, arguing that the obsession with constitutional changes has triggered the current stalemate.

Under the leadership of former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the Somali Salvation Forum said the Al-Shabaab group was regaining ground with the government directing its energy on internal political tussle and suspected corruption dealings.

The federal government, the opposition said, should adopt a comprehensive national strategy aimed at defeating the militants, who continue to pose a grave threat to Somalia’s stability. The country has been unstable for the last three decades.

“The government must prioritise the security and safety of its citizens over controversial and unilateral political undertakings,” the Forum said.

The electoral process, they added, has been mismanaged by the current administration, arguing that there is an elaborate scheme to extend terms by forcing the country to switch to direct elections, which would affect both federal and regional leaders.

They called for a “practical and broadly agreed” electoral framework to be implemented within the current terms of the presidency and parliament, stressing the need for a process that improves on the 2022 election.

Should the government persist with calls for universal suffrage, they warned, the country could plunge into electoral chaos. The al-Shabaab group has taken advantage of the political tussle to expand its territory, including the recent wins in Mahas, Adan Yabaal, and Moqokori towns.

The group is fighting to topple the fragile UN-backed federal government of Somalia. There is also massive infiltration of the al-Shabaab in the Somali National Army, further exposing the country's fragile leadership, with the group killing thousands of innocent civilians.

GAROWE ONLINE