Analysis: Clan uprising bolsters anti–al Shabaab offensive in central Somalia

[Deeq A.]

Local tribes in central Somalia are increasingly mobilizing against al Shabaab. Several Mogadishu Clan subclans in central and south-central Somalia have mobilized local militias to fight al Shabaab after militants ambushed a humanitarian aid convoy on September 2. The Somali government may also attempt to reconcile with the Sufi militia Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a (ASWJ) to bring the group into the counter–al Shabaab fight. Al Shabaab will likely accept losses in central Somalia in the short term. Defeating al Shabaab in central Somalia in the long term will depend on local and federal Somali authorities’ ability to deliver tangible and sustained improvements in governance and security.

Source: Hiiraan Online