Al-Shabaab exposes Somali army weakness by overpowering military base

Islamist fighters retook a Somali town from the national army in a dawn raid, raising questions over the government's ability to maintain security following the withdrawal of African Union troops.

MENA

2 min read

Robert Cusack

09 May, 2017

The Somali army has been fighting a nearly three-decade long war with the Islamist organisation[AFP]

Al-Qaeda affiliated militant group al-Shabaab overran a Somali army outpost in the country's south west on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for al-Shabaab said that 17 Somali government soldiers were killed in the attack on Goof Gaduud, near Baidoa.

The town has exchanged hands a number of times in the past year, with African Union (AMISOM) troops routinely retaking the town from al-Shabaab fighters.

It was reported that AMISOM troops were not in the town when the attack took place and the Somali army post were overpowered in a dawn raid.

Somali soldiers are paid around $100 a month by the Somali government, which is topped up by a subsequent $100 by the UK and US.

This pay has often not paid over recent years due to corruption, leading to poor morale.

Hundreds of soldiers went on strike in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, on March 12, over unpaid wages.

The soldiers took to the streets to remind President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed - also known as "Farmaajo" - of his election promise to pay the army on time, Captain Ali Osman, a military official, told Reuters.

To counter this effect, the Turkish, UK and US' armies are all helping train the Somali force in their fight against the Islamist organisation.

The president "declared war" on al-Shabaab on 6 April and offered any fighter amnesty if they surrendered within 60 days.

"The president offers amnesty to the brainwashed youth and pledges education and job opportunities for them if they renounce violence," a statement from the presidency said.