Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday vowed to continue the war against al-Shabab militants in an address to lawmakers, reported The All Africa. He also warned of looming famine in several parts of the country.
Speaking at the opening of Somalia’s second session of parliament, Mohamud vowed to continue what he’s called “all-out war” against terrorism.
The president said Somalia secured victories in the recent offensives against the Islamist militant group al-Shabab. He also lauded local militias for helping in the fight against the militants, whom he called “khawarijs,” a term for someone who deviates from Islam.
“Our country and our people are in a time where going back and defeat are not an option,” Mohamud said. “We decided to commit in order to liberate the country from the khawarijs.”
The militant attacks have increased in Somalia since Mohamud took office in May.
The president also addressed about Somalia’s worsening drought situation that is threatening famine in various parts of the country. The Horn of Africa has entered a fifth consecutive failed rainy season that has killed millions of livestock across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, and left millions of people in need of urgent aid.
Mohamud said the drought has devastated Somalia’s economy. Nearly half of Somalia’s 15 million population is experiencing severe hunger, according to the UN.
In related news, the United Nations (UN) human rights chief on Monday said human rights and humanitarian situation is deteriorating in Somalia due to a steep rise in civilian casualties across the country, largely at the hands of Al-Shabaab militants.
According to latest UN figures, at least 613 civilians have been killed and 948 injured so far this year, the highest number since 2017 and nearly a third more than 2021. Out of the total, 315 deaths have been due to Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), nearly all the work of Al-Shabaab extremists.
