Friday March 24, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somalia's Minister of Internal Affairs and Reconciliation, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, conceded that Al-Shabaab is a major obstacle to holding direct elections in Somalia.
The Minister explained that millions of citizens living in areas controlled by the group could not participate in the Somali elections at the local, regional or national level.
"There are millions of people living in the land controlled by Al-Shabaab, and they have no voice. Residents who want to participate are often threatened with death by Al Shabaab. They (Al Shabaab) have already killed people who have participated in Somalia's indirect electoral process in the past," said Minister Fiqi.
He also said that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is committed to his plan to eliminate the Al-Shabaab and implement direct elections in the country for the first time in over 60 years.
This statement comes as Somalia's federal government prepares to launch "phase 2" of its military offensive against the Al Qaeda-linked militant insurgency group, Al-Shabaab. The operation targets Jubbaland and South West regions where the group still controls large swathes of territory and exercises considerable influence over the locals.