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Tuesday March 12, 2024
Kismayo (HOL) – Security forces in Jubaland, in collaboration with the National Intelligence Agency (NISA), have detained three individuals linked to the Al-Shabaab militant group.
Among the detainees is Hassan Ibrahim, previously recognized as a defector to the insurgent group, captured during operations in the Dhobley district.
It has been reported that Ibrahim, along with two others, fled Jubaland in a Land Cruiser Hardtop vehicle to join the extremists.
Following extensive surveillance by the security forces, the remaining two suspects were apprehended in Mogadishu and are currently held in Kismayo.
These arrests underscore the concerning pattern of defections from the Somali National Army (SNA) to Al-Shabaab.
The recent apprehensions in Jubaland shed light on significant lapses within the Somali security framework. The federal government’s “guarantor” system, intended to fast-track the integration of ex-militants into the SNA by requiring recruits to have a local MP or minister as a sponsor, has inadvertently weakened the security vetting process. The lack of vetting has led to Al-Shabaab operatives infiltrating the military under assumed identities.
The negative impact of this recruitment approach is evident. The deadly assault at the Emirati-run General Gordon Training Center, which killed 18 people, was conducted by a former defector who managed to join the army without adequate security checks, highlighting the severe risks posed by the current system.
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