Murax wrote: Fri Sep 09, 2022 4:54 am
Sahal,
2010-2011 Gedo was the VERY first front against Al Shaydaan. Gedo districts like B Xaawo, Luuq were being liberated by joint Dawlad, Ahlu Sunnah while Beledweyne, Hiiraan, HG land and even most of Xamar were still AS.
Lakin right now you wrote a major check. Come 6 months, a year if it’s same situation what will you say then? That’s the question.
I am afraid if anything changes, it is more predictable Al Shabaab will expand in Galgaduud and Hiiraan. It is mind boggling how outwardly tribalized the current movements are. For example, Al Shabaab's pincer movements around Matabaan and Baxdo are not random movements. It shows both Sacad and Cayr have been gradually moving towards Al Shababization directed towards Cadaado and northern Beled-Weyne. The solution to fighting "Al Shabaab" is reconciliation and incentivizing the "lineage groups" manipulated to join cause with them to abandon them for real possibility of more fair political process.
Sacad has for sometime now been courted in suthwestern Hobyo district as a result of resentment towards Qoorqoor and Saleebaan expansion towards Hobyo. The area between Ceel-buur and Matabaan has seen the group known as "Cayrka koonfureed" (who were never ideologically Ahlu Sunnah like reer Ayaanle) definitively tie their fortunes with Al Shabaab to secure access to grazing movements in Northern Beled-Weyne district just as they secured grazing in Ceel-buur.
It is like an 8 ball with the two circles around Cadaado and Beled-Weyne.
Tribalizing Al Shabaab is the complete opposite to what one should be doing. If you notice in Gedo and Bakool, there is really no incentivized "lineage-groups" that can be pointed out as "Shabaab." There is no "Murusade" or "Duduble" for example because of the work done within for sometime to deincentivize "lineage-groups" arising who can be manipulated by Al Shabaab. It is also in their advantage they are relatively homogeneous or cohesive as political units. This is the opposite in mindbogglingly diverse and fractured political units. Not only is the fight against Al Shabaab on more difficult circumstances, but the response is even the complete opposite of how it should be handled.
When you see sitting members of Parliament from groups now being called "Al Shabaab" clans (Ceel-dheer or Ceel-buur) actively and in stark terms denouncing the fight "against" Al Shabaab as fights "against" their clans, this is a direct outcome of the way those claiming to fight Al Shabaab have terribly prejudiced the fight against Al Shabaab to their own detriment.
I foresee these eventualities.
1. Beled-Weyne town will become like Kismaayo town. Even the outskirts of town which are now contested will become definitive Al Shabaab territory. Only the town will be held as a garrison town reinforced by Ethiopian troops.
2. I believe it is possible Cadaado will fall. It is simply not strategic (for example not located on the border like Beled-Weyne) or capable enough of standing on it's own against Al Shabaab. The pressure will become even more acute the more Sacad fall to Shabaab.
3. I believe both Caabudwaaq and Dhusamareb will become secured by Ethiopian troops who will also attempt to rekindle the Ahlu Sunnah alliance between Balanbale, Xeraale, and Dhusamareb. I believe also this will turn into Caabudwaaq becoming a permanent base for Ethiopia in central Somalia ala Dollow, Gedo.
4. Finally, I believe it is possible Gaalkacyo town will become host to Ethiopian troops. The more Sacad, now motivated by their political resentment towards Saleebaan, become drafted to become as acquiescing as the Ceelbuur "clans," and particularly if and when Cadaado falls, I believe there will be a sudden agreement between Puntland and Ethiopia to garrison Gaalkacyo town as a defensive wall.
Shabaab is not being defeated. Shabaab is going to be contained, but the areas "now" being contested will fall.
And this will occur because the people fighting them now would have severely prejudiced the fight against them to their own detriment.