Somalia: the new president does not rule out negotiations with the Shebabs

The Shebab, Somali radical Islamist insurgents, on patrol in the suburbs of Mogadishu on June 22, 2009. (Photo: Reuters)

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1 min

Elected in May 2022, Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud believes that the military approach has become insufficient to overcome these extremist fighters, and says he is open to alternatives, including "talks" at the appropriate time.

He made the remarks this week during a trip to Turkey.

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With our regional correspondent in Nairobi,

The Somali president considers that opening talks

today would be premature: “ 

But he said,

. "

»

With these remarks, unusual in Somalia, Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud therefore opens a breach in the strategy pursued for fifteen years against the Islamist Shebabs.

The Head of State considers that this essentially military strategy has shown its limits, because the Shebabs have known how to " 

 ", so, he says, for example, "

 .

In fact, the progress made on the ground over the past ten years by the Somali army and the forces of the African Union has been very limited.

The influence of the Shebabs, especially economic, has even increased overall in areas that are not directly under their control.

In addition to possible talks,

also explains that more must be done to tackle the financial flows of the Shebabs.

Currently, according to the latest report from the UN experts for Somalia, the group finances itself mainly through extortion and taxation by routinely using the Somali banking system to deposit and store funds, as well as the transfer of money via mobile phone.

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• Somalia

• Shebabs