Greece (Brussels Morning) The president of Somalia announced in a statement early on Sunday that two vehicle bombs that exploded outside the ministry of education on Saturday left at least 100 persons dead and 300 injured.
Although the president assigned blame to the Islamist organization al Shabaab, no one quickly claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Shabaab often refrains from taking credit for assaults that leave many people dead or injured. The attack occurred in the same location as the deadliest bombing in Somalia’s history, which claimed more than 500 lives in the same month in 2017. A truck bomb detonated near a bustling hotel at the K5 crossroads, which is surrounded by government buildings, eateries, and shops.
The incident, according to Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and President Muhammadu Buhari, would not dissuade the public’s opposition to al-Shabab, they both stated on Saturday. The government is committed to eradicating the extremist group.
The next hours the number of victims is expected to increase. The authorities had given the orders to get the injured, some of whom were in critical condition, prompt medical care.
Total War Against al-Shabab
Long neglected in the American counterterrorism operation is Somalia. Drone attacks, military advisers supporting Somali partner forces, or an al-Shabaab attack in the area occasionally make the news before media attention dies down. At least 587 people were killed and 316 others were injured in two-vehicle explosions that happened in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, on October 14, 2017.
One of the vehicles, which exploded as its driver went through a barrier in the Hodan District while attempting to flee from security guards, was almost entirely responsible for the fatalities. The explosion also destroyed a hotel in the area.
In July 2022 another lone wolf attack cost the lives of 11 people including the district commissioner Abdillahi Ali Waafow. The attack targeted the whole family, staff, and bodyguards of the official, shaking the country’s security forces and democratic institutions.
The government of Somalia has been waging a prominent new effort against the terrorist group that the US has dubbed one of al-deadliest Qaida’s outfits.
The extremists, who have recently been the target of numerous U.S. bombings and control sizable portions of central and southern Somalia, have been described by the president as being in “total war.” The government, along with militia groups, has been engaged in a new offensive against the extremists who hold large parts of the country and is exerting pressure on the group’s
financial network. Somalia’s president, elected this year, said the country remained at war with al-Shabab “and we are winning.”
Killing famous clan elders as a response, the extremists—who want to establish an Islamic state—seem to be trying to discourage popular support for the offensive. However, the long-term solution to counterterrorism in Somalia has less to do with perfecting military operations and more to do with fostering peace and sound government in a nation that has for far too long known little of both.
The Media Front
There was pressure on the United States to implement a more aggressive counterterrorism strategy in Somalia as al-Shabaab gained ground.
The Somali government on the other hand wants to limit media coverage of terrorism in its nation because they think it will aid in the fight against terrorism. Al Shabaab coverage has been prohibited from at least 10 news websites and one television outlet, and telecommunications are also required to help combat insecurity.
The promotion of extremist ideology statements through conventional media broadcasts and social media is prohibited, according to a directive from the information ministry issued to news organizations.
The government will treat “all Al Shabaab linked propaganda coverage, including their terrorist acts and their ideology as punishable offenses,” according to deputy minister of communication Abdirahman Yusuf. More than 40 accounts on Facebook and Twitter have been suspended thus far, he claimed.
According to the National Union of Somali Journalists, journalists in the nation condemn assaults from the government, Al Shabaab, and even internet trolls. Some have even been made to deactivate their social media accounts (NUSOJ).
“Journalists are frequently subjected to personal attacks and harassment for posting on their Facebook profiles or pages.
Online attacks that are blatant and violent have been directed at those who cover political events, according to NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Osman.
