Horn Of Africa Nations Vow Support For Somalian Bid To Defeat Al-Shabaab

The leaders of two Horn of Africa nations and Kenya vowed on Wednesday to help the Somalian government regain control of its territory from al-Shabaab militants (affiliated with al-Qaeda, banned in Russia)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2023) The leaders of two Horn of Africa nations and Kenya vowed on Wednesday to help the Somalian government regain control of its territory from al-Shabaab militants (affiliated with al-Qaeda, banned in Russia).

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud hosted his counterparts Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, Abiy Ahmed Ali of Ethiopia and William Ruto of Kenya in Mogadishu. The seat of the Somalian government has been a favorite target of al-Shabaab, which controls large swathes of central and southern Somalia.

"The Summit agrees to make the final push for joint operations in the areas that remain under the terrorists to completely liberate the whole of Somalia from Al-Shabaab," the leaders said in a joint declaration.

Its eastern African neighbors agreed to help Somalia build up its own security forces, which will gradually take over responsibility for the country's national security from the African Union's military mission. Somalia will also seek to have the UN arms embargo lifted by the turn of the year.