Military Movements in Somalia

Recent Military Movements in Somalia: Nature and Implications.
Risks of renewed fighting in Somalia are significant. The protagonists are busy graduating newly trained combatants. There is an incessant shopping spree for armaments and hustle to control military positions for a kind of final showdown between the TFG and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’ia/ASWJ/ on the one hand and the Al-Shabaab on the other. Clearly, the insurgents seem to be worried that the preparations of the TFG-training of troops both inside and abroad as well as familiarizing with the armaments provided from the US- are well in progress. Besides,Sheikh Sheriff’s recent postures donning military uniforms seem to have alerted the Islamist insurgents, particularly the Shabaab to make military maneuvers in all directions. The Shabaab seem to be afraid that in the event of a new war in Mogadishu it could be sandwiched between the TFG in the south and the ASWJ in the north. It seems desperate to come out of a potential encirclement. To this effect it has started to attack ASWJ positions in Central Somalia. Recent military movements by Al-Shabaab are fundamentally preemptive (precautionary measures) than aimed at gaining new areas of influence and holding territory.