Combat forces of Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a, a religious group allied to the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia will soon be receiving military training offered by the Government of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
This offer was made during a recent meeting between senior officials of the group and the Ethiopian Government held in Dire Dawa, approximately 500 kilometers east of Addis Ababa towards Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Organized under the auspices of the IGAD Office of the Facilitator for Somalia Peace and National Reconciliation, the meeting resolved that 1000 troops of ASWJ will be trained in a month’s time. The trained troops will ensure that ASWJ has the required skill to fight alongside TFG security forces in tackling armed opposition groups in Somalia. In the recent past, ASWJ forces have won remarkable battles and taken over towns previously held by insurgent groups, but they have fallen short trained troops to sustain their gains.
At the meeting, ASWJ Executive Chairman, Sheikh Mohamed Yusuf Hefow expressed his gratitude for the assistance offered by the neighbor and called for technical military support. He appealed to IGAD, AU, UN, friendly neighboring countries and the international community to assist them financially and through capacity building so as to be well equipped to fight against
the insurgency.
“We have managed to take control in the entire region of Galgadud, and we can seize more towns if such assistance is forthcoming,” he stated.
Sheikh Mohamoud Yusuf, further pointed out that there is need to strengthen the cooperation with the TFG to win the war against insurgency. He added that the cooperation agreement signed between ASWJ and TFG that was witnessed by IGAD, AU, EU, LAS and UN on 15th March 2010 needs to be implemented fully in order to actualize the goal of a secure and stable Somalia.
“I am appealing to IGAD, AU, UN and our immediate neighbors to push for the implementation of the agreement by TFG if we are to liberate our country from insurgents,” said the ASWJ leader.
ASWJ has vowed to continue with their efforts of fighting insurgency with or without support from the stakeholders involved, as they say it is incumbent upon them to do so.