Amisom troops clear Al-Shabaab buildings

African Union troops who captured the port city of Kismayu from Al-Shabaab militants last Friday, have started clearing buildings initially used by the terrorists as their bases, the Kenya Defence Forces said on Thursday.

The statement said Amisom forces in Sector II who include the KDF and the Somali National Army are firmly in control of Kismayu.

“Several businesses in Kismayu have reopened and the residents’ daily routine is slowly returning to normal. The domination of the port city by Amisom troops is in progress,” KDF said on its official public affairs Twitter account.

It added that Amisom forces had embarked on confidence building programmes among locals residents, providing a secure environment for the residents to establish their own leadership structure.

Control points

“Movement in and out of town is being monitored at control points erected outside the town. Our troops are in control of the port, police station, Walsheda port city factory, former state house and the two airports,” the statement added

And the US said on Wednesday that it viewed the Kenya-led capture of Kismayu as an important step in stabilising Somalia.

“Al-Shabaab’s departure from Kismayu demonstrates continued momentum by pro-government forces against this terrorist organisation,” the US State Department said in a written statement.

“Al-Shabaab’s extremist views and violent tactics have no future in a modern Somalia.

“The US welcomes the capture of the strategic port city of Kismayu by Amisom peacekeepers and Somali forces,” declared the statement.