Somalia, partners discuss strategies to counter Al-Shabaab
By Hassan Mohamed |
The meeting was attended by officials from the United Nations, several diplomatic missions in Somalia as well as officials from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
Somalia and its international partners held a high-level meeting in Mogadishu to discuss the country’s national strategy for preventing and countering violent extremism in the country that is battling terrorism.
The meeting was organised by the National Centre for the Prevention and Countering Violent Extremism, known locally as TUBSAN, to review Somalia's national strategy to counter violent extremism.
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The national strategy has five intertwined pillars for countering violent extremism. They are coordination, community engagement, strategic communications, defection promotion, rehabilitation, and lastly, research and innovation.
TUBSAN Director Abdullahi Mohamed Nur briefed the partners on Somalia's national strategy to counter violent extremism and called for support to help the country defeat the extremists.
Abdullahi urged for concerted efforts to tackle violent extremism and urged partners to continue supporting the Somalia government in its fight against terrorism.
“The Somali government highlights the importance of the fight against violent extremism by employing a comprehensive approach that involves all sectors of government and society. Our intensified efforts against terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab and Da'sh are crucial to ending the nation's longstanding insurgency. In this context, the support from our partners is indispensable to our peacebuilding efforts,” he said.
He added that the experiences shared by the participants during the full-day conference will go a long way in helping improve government strategies for countering violent extremism.
“Your contributions have been invaluable, and this gathering signifies a critical milestone in Somalia’s campaign to eradicate the threats posed by those who resort to violence to further their objectives,” he added.
This meeting comes at a critical moment in Somalia when Somali security forces are expected to take overall responsibility for their country's security from African Union peacekeepers, who are expected to leave Somalia at the end of this year.
The country is still facing a serious threat from terrorists who are far from being subdued, although the government forces continue to dislodge the group from many towns in ongoing operations in central Somalia.
Just yesterday, Al-Shabaab militants detonated bombs inside Mogadishu's Bakaara market, the biggest open-air market in Somalia, causing many civilian casualties.
Officials from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), several diplomatic missions in Somalia, and representatives from the United Nations attended the meeting.
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