AS SOMALIA'S MILITARY ENGAGES AL SHABAAB, VIGILANTES JOIN THE FIGHT.

Somali military in operation 

The government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia is embracing a new strategy that uses vigilantes to help drive out the al Shabaab militants from villages.

It is an additional stage in the process of deterring al Shabaab supporters without using violence, such as through integrating returnees into the formal political system.

Mukhtar Abu Mansur was appointed Minister of Religion by Prime Minister Hamza Barre in July. Former al Shabaab leader Mr. Mansur was imprisoned under house detention after leaving the organization but was later released.

According to officials, local militia can take advantage of people who have already suffered harm from al Shabaab and target them for capture.

President Mohamud declared, "We came up with a new strategy that is centered on two things: cutting off al Shabaab's economic lifeline and waging an intellectual war front." He added that the group had avoided military operations by switching up its strategy.

Last week, while touring the US, President Mohamud delivered a speech at a public lecture at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Later, he claimed that officials are aiding the militia in a speech to the diaspora.

Some local clans claim that they have begun battling al Shabaab because they were unable to stand by while their children were being intimidated, kidnapped, and subjected to extortion. 

Somali security forces detain suspected al Shabaab militants.

During a recent raid in Mogadishu, suspected al Shabaab members were apprehended by Somali security forces.

There have already been some achievements and drawbacks for the vigilante concept. Some opposition leaders have launched an offensive against what they claim is a breeding ground for militia organizations that could one day rebel against the government.

DEFENDERS

Some of the vigilante organizations were already protecting their villages from ambushes by al Shabaab and denying the militia access to new areas.

About 320 kilometers north of Mogadishu, in the Mahaas district of the Hiiraan region, where al Shabaab rebels attacked the towns of Teedaan and Bukurre, a local clan militia known as the Moawisley (militants in wrap-around clothing) retaliated and protected the towns.

According to reports last week, over 20 al Shabaab fighters were slain in the attack.

With the help of the Somali National Army (SNA), the Moawisley group has now gained the upper hand and driven al Shabaab fighters out of numerous strategically important regions within the Mahaas district in central Somalia.

Even for al Shabaab, the opposition was unexpected. Al Shabaab turned to torching homes and other amenities after the locals initially refused to pay their "tax" to them. However, the gang didn't get very far.

The event is now being used as an illustration of how locals may assist police in vanquishing a common foe.

Last week, Mohamed Ahmed Sheikh Ali, the minister of internal security, praised "recent military operations aimed at liberating the districts, ensuring security, and stabilizing the territories reclaimed from the jihadists," adding that the strategy will enable the government to provide critical aid.

Al Shabaab is still a threat in central Somalia. Their agents snuck back into Afar-Irdood, the crossroads between Mahaas town and Beledweyne town, the administrative center of Hiran.

On Friday, supporters of Al-Shabaab stopped a number of vehicles traveling between the two cities. They destroyed the food that was in the vans and killed 18 individuals. According to officials, several of the destroyed vehicles were transporting food supplies from Beledweyne to a population suffering from drought in the Mahaas district.

In close proximity to where the travelers were slain, three people also perished after their car collided with a landmine.

The Al-Shabaab stronghold at Gedweyn, close to Bulo Burte, 200 kilometers north of Mogadishu, was then attacked by the Moawisley.

According to Moawisley militia vigilante leader Ali Mohamed, his group assassinated senior Al-Shabaab "tax" collector Farow Fanne. He promised to keep attacking the Al-Shabaab bases in the Hiran region.

Before they murder us, we'll keep shooting at them, Mr. Mohamed stated.

Another clan vigilante group organized itself within the week and engaged Al-Shabaab forces west of Beledweyne, the state capital of Hirshabelle Federal State and the Hiran capital.

Later, El-Adde village, located around 60 kilometers west of Beledweyne, was the target of Al Shabaab fighters. The clan vigilantes also fought back against them.

Following news of the Moawisley group's achievements, Somali government representatives visited the Hiran region to express their support.

Later, portions of Hiran were visited by Hirshabelle State President Ali Hussein Gudlawe. He distributed aid and started repairing the wells that had previously been destroyed by al Shabaab.

LIBERATION 
Government forces have also helped the Moawisley clan militia retake Ada-kibir, a town in the Galgaduud region some 500 kilometers north of Mogadishu. After a protracted battle, Ada-kibir was freed.

Later, the area was visited by Ahmed Abdi Qoorqoor, the president of Galmudug State.

Mr. Qoorqoor expressed his satisfaction with the joint forces' actions to Al-Shabaab, saying, "I am proud of what you have done and we will continue to support you."

General Odowa Yusuf Rage, the commander of the Somali National Army, paid a visit to Hiran and Galgaduud to express his support for the allied forces.

Al Shabaab has issued warnings of a bloody conflict in response to the events. Al Shabaab's spokesperson Abdulaziz Abu Mus'ab threatened the tribes supporting the Moawisley militia and government soldiers on Monday, according to al Shabaab media sites.

"The clans and we (al Shabaab) do not fight each other. However, we are aware of the clan elders' plans to equip the clans, according to Mr. Abu Mus'ab.

He said, clearly referring to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia soldiers, "Any clan that picks up arms and confronts us will be counterattacked in the same way as the government and the foreign forces in the nation" (Atmis).

In support of the federal administration, which is recognized internationally, Atmis troops are provided by Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Burundi.

According to recent reports, al Shabaab has incorporated drones into its insurgency, indicating a potential opening in the pathways for the entry of armaments, including access to high-tech.

The tribes battling al Shabaab are thought to have been motivated by statements made by President Mohamud, who declared following his reelection that he would start a program to eradicate al Shabaab. According to specialists, precautions must be taken when dealing with the Moawisley.

Inter-clan ties need to be improved, according to Gen Abdurahman Mohamud Turyare, a former director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency, in order to prevent the militia from being doomed to failure. Al-Shabaab uses interclan discord as an opportunity to align itself with the other clan, he continued.

According to Gen. Turyare, "They (Al-Shabaab) will inform the other clan that you have a chance to battle your opponent since they are engaged in a pointless conflict and we can back you."

He argued that it was important to safeguard the clan's pro-government leaders.

The general claimed that "Al-Shabaab hitmen target the chiefs of the tribes or their militia to cause the mission to fail."

He continued by saying that the newly liberated area needed to immediately develop a government-related administration. "It can be exceedingly hazardous if a clan militia regains a territory and is left to rule."

Abdirizak Warsame, a member of Somalia's Lower House of Parliament, questioned the long-term advantages of utilizing the clan militia.

DANGEROUS COMBINATIONS 

He claimed that clan-based rebel organizations that battled the former Somali government in the 1980s ultimately plunged the country into anarchy, from which it is still working to recover.

In a video message shared on social media, Mr. Warsame added, "Those of you who cannot understand Moawisley should know that they are a disorganized lot that might drag us into anarchy."

"The USC [United Somali Congress], the rebel group that battled the late Gen Mohamed Siad Barre's government in Mogadishu and ultimately toppled it in January 1991," said Mr. Warsame.

He continued, saying that the Moawisley's chances of defeating Al-Shabaab could be destroyed by the chaos they could incite. "As long as the Moawisley resemble USC, they will lead into a fresh chaos," he said.

Due to the nomadic pastoralist nature of Moawisley, clan loyalty and dominance are very certainly present.

Additionally, there are Moawisley supporters. Ali Jayte, the governor of the Hiran region, where the most active Moawisley militia operates, answered via video message to the MP he said was unaware of the accomplishments of the militias, asking, "How can someone call militias fighting terrorists a bunch of dumb (sic)?"

Moawisley needs to be retained inside a system of government, top counselor to the president of Hirshabelle State Abdikarim Nur Dobyare stated to the media last week.

When referring to the difficulty the Somali government encountered in dissolving the Ahlu Sunna wal-Jamaa, Mr. Dobyare said, "If Moawisley are supported blindly, arming them they can reach a point that might be uncontrolled" (ASWJ).

ASWJ, a moderate Islamist organization, opposed the same power that encouraged its development and growth. In Galmudug regions, the ASWJ posed a serious threat to Al-Shabaab, but it later wanted a power-sharing agreement with the federal state authority.

Some people think that because clan warriors are more homogenous in rural regions, the vigilante concept might succeed there. However, it could eventually put a pressure on government forces in urban areas where Al-Shabaab may switch to other attack methods like utilizing suicide bombers or roadside bombs.