Al-Shabaab change of tack may prolong the war in Somalia

Al-Shabaab militia have changed tack and returned to guerrilla tactics, a military officer said, indicating that Kenya’s engagement in Somalia is likely to be lengthy.

The Islamic militants have been facing a crisis of legitimacy in recent weeks amid defections from their ranks and a hostile attitude towards the movement by elders who have urged youths not to join the group in the face of a joint onslaught by the Kenyan military and Transitional Federal Government troops. (Read: Shabaab parade in stronghold)

At a briefing on Saturday at the Foreign Affairs ministry, Colonel Cyrus Oguna said Al-Shabaab were now operating in groups of two to five.

It emerged that 30 Al-Shabaab youths had surrendered to the government following the offer of an amnesty.

The new reality means that the group has been forced to melt into the population and operate in small groups, making it harder to launch air strikes against them.

The militia have also abandoned their uniforms, the colonel said, making it difficult to identify them, and they had switched to night time operations after taking many casualties in the first weeks of Operation Linda Nchi.

Col Oguna said Al-Shaabab had also stepped up its propaganda and use of small weapons, grenades, improvised explosive devices and land mines.

“They are also using donkeys for transport and other logistics which are difficult to detect as they look harmless,” the officer said.

Accompanied by Major Emmanuel Chirchir, Police Spokesman Eric Kiraithe and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Horn of Africa division director Lindsay Kiptiness, Col Oguna said Al-Shabaab’s changing tactics had slowed down Kenya’s operation.

Others at the briefing were Ministry of Information and Communications representative Omwa Ombara and Foreign Affairs ministry officials Judith Ngunia and Lazarus Opicho.

Col Oguna said the militia would not succeed despite their evolving tactics: “We have an answer for them despite their change of tack.”

He said Al-Shabaab’s new tactics had been anticipated since it is not a conventional force, adding that it had been easy to hit them using air assets when they moved in large groups.

“Our troops are trained to operate in all environments and have managed to deal with them (Al-Shabaab). We have been able to register one victory after another. We are equal to the task,” Col Oguna said.

Asked which stage Kenya’s operation had reached and when the forces would move to the next one, Col Oguna said the military was dealing with two issues inside Somalia: pacification of areas under its control and providing humanitarian assistance to Somalis.

“Pacification is tedious, time-consuming and painstaking. We are going door-to-door and Al-Shabaab elements hiding in houses are not easily identified,” he said.

Operation Linda Nchi, he said, was divided into three sectors—northern, central and southern.

In the northern sector, Kenyan forces have taken control of Barmuda and Busar, but he said there were areas that still had pockets of Al-Shabaab.

In the central sector, Kenyan troops had combed Dobley, Tabda and Facoogani, but there were still some Al-Shabaab elements in the areas.

He said contrary to media reports, the army had not imposed a no-fly zone on Baidoa but had warned that any aircraft overflying Kenyan territory without clearance would be dealt with.

He identified the weapons brought by planes to Baidoa to aid Al-Shabaab as shoulder-fired rocket grenades and small firearms.

He said Kenyan troops were providing food and water to Somalis affected by the conflict and that the country welcomes support in the form of food, medicine and clothing that will go to the Somali people.

Col Oguna said so far five Kenyan soldiers have died in the operation, and there had been “a couple” of injuries.

“There is no war that does not have casualties. Kenya has to be prepared to lose some people. Al- Shabaab casualties run to several hundred.”

The military spokesman said four Al-Shabaab members were killed near Afmadow and three Somali government soldiers were injured.

Mr Kiptiness said Eritrea’s denial that it is supplying arms to Al-Shabaab is not sufficient, and that it should go forward and denounce the militia’s activities.

“Although Eritrea denied giving support to Al-Shabaab it has a history of supporting the Islamic Courts Union and other groups. Several of the ICU leaders were in Eritrea,” he said.