Somalia’s federal government says it has regained control of more than 55 per cent of territory previously held by Al-Shabaab and Islamic State (ISIS), claiming significant progress in its five-year campaign against armed groups.
The government also says more than 1.5 million people have been freed from the groups’ control, while terrorism-related incidents in major Somali cities have declined by approximately 89 per cent.
Somalia’s National Security Adviser, Aweys Haji, outlined the figures while discussing the country’s security progress over the past five years. He said military operations had weakened armed groups and enabled the government to restore its authority in areas previously under their control.
Haji said the recovery of more than half of the territory held by the groups represented a major development in the government’s efforts to improve security and expand state control.
The figures, however, were presented as government claims, and the announcement did not provide a detailed breakdown of the areas covered, the methodology used to calculate the territorial gains or independent verification of the reported progress.
Somalia Reports Decline in Terrorist Funding
Alongside the territorial gains, Haji said funding for terrorist groups had fallen by 35 per cent, while incidents linked to terrorism in major cities had dropped by approximately 89 per cent.
The reported figures point to the government’s assessment that its security campaign has affected the groups’ financing and their ability to carry out attacks in urban centres.
However, the announcement did not specify the period used to measure the funding decline or provide a detailed comparison of terrorism-related incidents before and after the reported improvements.
The figures also do not, on their own, establish the extent to which the groups’ overall operational capabilities have been reduced across the country.
Haji stressed that Somalia’s security was closely connected to stability across the wider region, calling for stronger cooperation with neighbouring countries to counter armed groups and other cross-border threats.
He said the federal government was prepared to work with neighbouring states on counterterrorism operations, intelligence sharing and border security to prevent armed groups from moving across national boundaries.
The government also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation in tackling organised crime that crosses borders, arguing that joint efforts were necessary to achieve lasting security.