Somalia: Al-Shabaab attack on an African Union military base

Radical Al-Shabaab Islamists on Friday launched an attack on a base of the African Union Force in Somalia (Atmis), about 120 kilometers southwest of the capital Mogadishu, Atmis said, without giving further details. on a possible balance sheet.

Shebab rebels, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, have been fighting the federal government supported by the international community since 2007. Driven out of the main cities of the country in 2011-2012, they remain firmly established in vast rural areas. They regularly commit suicide attacks in this poor and unstable country in the Horn of Africa.

On Friday morning, “an Atmis base in Bulo Marer was attacked by Al-Shabab. The Atmis forces are currently assessing the security situation,” the African Union force in Somalia announced in a tweet, without giving further details.

Somali President Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud, who returned to power in May 2022, has promised to launch a “total war” against the Shebab.

This offensive, supported by the African Union force in Somalia and American air strikes, made it possible to reconquer vast territories of two states in the center of the country, Hirshabelle and Galmudug.

But the Shebab continue to carry out bloody attacks in retaliation, showing their ability to strike at the heart of Somali cities and military installations.

On October 29, 2022, two car bombs exploded in Mogadishu, killing 121 people and injuring 333, the deadliest attack in five years in this country also affected by a historic drought.

In a report to the UN Security Council in February, Guterres said 2022 had been the deadliest year for civilians in Somalia since 2017, largely due to Al-Shabaab attacks.

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