Interim South West Administration seeks

AMISOMs Intervention in reconciling warring

clans and cushioning communities against Al
Shabaab
Mogadishu, 01 March 2016- The Interim South
West Administration (ISWA) and the African Union
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) are making concerted
and sustained efforts at degrading Al Shabaab from
the Lower Shabelle region.
ISWA Minister of Interior Mr. Abdirahman Ibrahim
Aden accompanied by Governor of Lower Shabelle
Mr. Ibrahim Aden Ali and a respected elder Sultan
Aliyow Warsame, held a meeting at AMISOM
headquarters on Tuesday 1 March 2016 with
officials from the Political Unit, to seek enhanced
protection of communities living in the region from
Al Shabaab attacks. They also sought help with
reconciliation efforts among the warring clans.
The meeting discussed progress made in areas
that are experiencing relative peace such as
Qoryoley and Barawe but also focused on areas
experiencing intermittent security breakdown such
as Marka and Afgooye.
Both AMISOM and the ISWA delegation were in
agreement that the situation in the Lower Shabelle
region was of great concern.The ISWA Minister of
Interior stressed the importance of troop
integration, composition and formation of a strong
Somali National Army and Somali Police Force.
ISWA has done a lot for the community in the
short time it has existed. AMISOM has also been
supporting the ISWA community programs all
along. We work with AMISOM Sector 1 and Sector

3. AMISOM Sector 3 has partnered with us and

done a lot for South West State, for example
training of troops as well as carrying out security
operations. In Lower Shebelle AMISOM has equally
done a great job but we didnt get the same
opportunity in Bay and Bakool regions due the
pressure from the enemy. We are requesting for
recruitment of troops from the local communities.
We also ask that areas still under the control of Al
Shabaab be liberated, he stated.
On his part, Governor Aden Ali pleaded for more
support from AMISOM and the international
community in addressing security challenges in the
middle Shabelle region.
We need a lot of support, advice and partnerships
because ISWA is a new administration which is just
over a year old. We are also working in a region
with multifaceted challenges; for instance my
administration was named 3 months ago. We need
advice, collaboration and close working
relationship with both the community and AMISOM.
As the leaders, we are the link between the
community and AMISOM and we want to forge a
closer relationship between the two. We have
requested for training of local police in every
district to enhance security, he said.
Elder Sultan Aliyow Warsame Ibrow suggested a
fact-finding mission to unearth the causes of the
clan conflicts in the region. The need for a fact
finding mission to find the root cause of the clan
disputes in Marka is important. It is only then that
real reconciliation can take place, stressed the
elder.
END