He added, in his talk to “”, today, Thursday, that the greatest danger lies in the withdrawal of African Union forces due to challenges related to funding. This withdrawal could create a massive security vacuum, especially since the Somali army is still in the building phase and lacks the full capacity to face the threat on its own.
Bosaso pointed out that despite successes and victories on the battlefield, they are fragile and may not be sustainable. If the government fails to build a strong and resilient national army and provide necessary support to the clans, the current gains may quickly evaporate, plunging Somalia back into chaos and potentially making it a safe haven for terrorist entities.
In a previous statement to “Sputnik,” Somali political analyst Omar Mohamed said that internal division leads to weakness on all fronts, providing greater opportunities for other parties seeking control of the country to expand at the expense of the state and its security and stability.
He added: “Naturally, divisions within the components of any state result in that state’s vulnerability to infiltration by organizations, giving these groups the chance to attack the state and achieve their goals.”
Mohamed continued: “In the Somali case, any division within a component of one party presents an opportunity for the other party, meaning that internal division in or between regional states is a strategic opportunity for ideologically armed movements opposing the government.”
He pointed out that a prime example of the impact of internal division on the security and stability system of any state is seen in Somalia. Due to internal disputes, intensive military operations against the “Al-Shabaab” movement have decreased, ultimately allowing the movement to regain control over some areas in the Hirshabelle state, indicating that internal division is an opportunity for these groups.
The Somali army announced a few days ago that it had carried out a planned operation targeting locations where militia elements were entrenched in the western Bay region in the south of the country.
In 2022, the Somali government and allied forces began a campaign to expel the “Al-Shabaab” movement, linked to the terrorist “Al-Qaeda” organization (banned in Russia and several countries), from some areas in the central part of the country, yet the movement continues to launch significant attacks.
