Mogadishu security declines as armed forces stretched outside capital
- By Mohamed Mubarak
Posted on
<
http://africanarguments.org/2014/04/16/mogadishu-security-declines-as-armed
-forces-stretched-outside-capital-by-mohamed-mubarak/> April 16, 2014
In March, the AU and the Somali National Army (SNA) launched their
long-awaited offensive against Al-Shabaab. As was expected, Al-Shabaab
withdrew from most areas without putting up much resistance. On the surface,
the Somali government has won a huge chunk of territory back from the
insurgent group. However, the facts on the ground suggest something else.
It would seem that Al-Shabaab has been cut in half, with the allied forces
controlling the main roads from Mogadishu to Beledweyne, and from Mogadishu
to Baidoa. However, Al-Shabaab continues to ambush allied troops using these
roads, and is known to cross from east to west of the main roads whenever it
wants.
This is made possible because the allied troops occupy the main cities on
the roads, with Al-Shabaab continuing to rule some villages. For instance,
when the Djiboutian-led forces captured Bulo Burte on 12 March, Al-Shabaab
started laying siege to the city from all sides.
It may take time for the allies to realise this, but it has already become
clear: AMISOM numbers will need to be increased for it to continue to be
effective and not so overstretched.
Mogadishu security problems
The departure of large numbers of troops from the Mogadishu area in recent
months has resulted in the overall deterioration of security in the Somali
capital. Here Al-Shabaab continues its operations without much trouble.
Assassinations and hand grenade attacks occur quite regularly - sometimes on
a nightly basis.
There are many security checkpoints in Mogadishu; however, to characterise
them as security checkpoints is unfair to even poorly run examples of such
things. It isn't hard to envision Al-Shabaab operatives laughingly passing
through with their materials (and plans) fully intact.
The men manning these checkpoints simply look at passengers, rarely asking
any to come out for a body search. Strangely, drivers are almost never
searched, nor are women. Furthermore, the contents of bags are never
checked, nor are cars themselves thoroughly examined.
In addition to this, probably the most disturbing problem with security in
Mogadishu is the fact that any men in government, army or police uniform can
pass through checkpoints without being asked to stop and identify
themselves. This opens the door to all manner of vulnerabilities, and
Al-Shabaab has not been slow to exploit this problem.
Al-Shabaab has attacked many government installations, including storming
the presidential palace, mostly by disguising its fighters in SNA uniforms.
Intelligence flaws
At the forefront of security in Mogadishu and other areas directly ruled by
the Federal Government is the National Intelligence and Security Agency
(NISA). This mostly local spy agency is tasked with, among other things,
disrupting Al-Shabaab operations and arresting its members. However, this is
also probably the most infiltrated government agency.
When Sheikh Sharif became president in 2009, he saw to it that the Islamic
Courts were heavily represented in the army, police, and the then NSA. This
opened up sensitive government institutions to infiltration by Al-Shabaab.
If that was not dangerous enough, Al-Shabaab defectors were directly
recruited into the spy agency without much consideration. Defectors would be
given the option of reverting to civilian life or joining in the fight
against Al-Shabaab. It isn't hard to imagine the option that an infiltrator
would pick.
This is not to say that all defectors are still loyal to Al-Shabaab;
however, this does not merit recruiting and arming them en masse and giving
them the responsibility of keeping the peace.
Following complaints from the media and government officials, defectors were
sent to rehabilitation camps from 2011 to 2012. Nevertheless, following the
defeat of Sheikh Sharif in the September 2012 elections, the former
commander of NISA, Mr. Fiqi, ordered hundreds of Al-Shabaab defectors in a
rehabilitation camp to be deployed into the field.
There was a spike in attacks following the election, including an attempted
assassination of then president-elect Hassan Sheikh. The increase in attacks
is a direct result of inducting Al-Shabaab "defectors" into the main
security agency.
A large portion of assassinations by Al-Shabaab have been aimed at NISA
operatives, with the apparent aim of eliminating patriotic NISA members. The
most recent assassination was on Sunday night in the Karan district of
Mogadishu where two NISA members were shot by assailants who escaped on
foot. For NISA to be effective, it must get rid of members with questionable
loyalty.
Unfortunately, there is no initiative to fix this problem. No one has been
fired for the worsening security and major security breaches nor is there an
acknowledgement that a problem exists.
While expansion of government territory is important, it should not come at
the expense of security in the most important and populous Somali city. Now
that the bulk of the SNA and AMISOM are operating relatively far from
Mogadishu, Al-Shabaab will have even fewer obstacles to inserting men and
materials into Mogadishu.
And in case you haven't seen them,
<
http://www.radiowehel.com/2014/04/12/photo-news-xuska-maalinta-ciidanka-xoo
ga-dalka-soomaaliya/> here are photos of the SNA celebrating Armed Forces
Day last week. Note how unarmed our armed forces are around our president.
It is not that they don't have weapons, but most are not trusted around the
president while bearing them.
Winning back territory does not mean the Federal Government is in a position
to provide security to itself and its old territory, let alone the liberated
areas.
Mohamed Mubarak, a political and security analyst, is the founder of
anti-corruption NGO Marqaati (Marqaati.org), based in Mogadishu
_at_somalianalyst This article was commissioned via the
<
http://africanarguments.org/african-journalism-fund-2/> African Journalism
Fund.
Received on Wed Apr 16 2014 - 17:35:00 EDT