This week President Donald Trump announced that he ordered airstrikes against ISIS in Puntland which were successful in eliminating ISIS terrorists. Very soon afterwards president Hassan Sheikh and Villa Somalia team thanked president Trump for supporting them in the fight against terrorism. The Somali press release thanked the USA government for briefing president Hassan Sheikh before the strike took place. Confidential sources have told independent media agencies that no consultation happened. Senior officials in the Somali government have confirmed this as well. So why is president Hassan Sheikh and Villa Somalia misleading the Somali people? Embarrassment is the only answer.
The Puntland forces have embarrassed Hassan Sheikh and his security team by fighting ISIS with the success the Federal government can only dream of in other parts of Somalia. In their communications, the Puntland security services thanked the USA and UAE but not the Federal government. This is what political divisions look like in the battlefields of Somalia.
Since the military failure of Cosweyne, there was no other major successful assault against Alshabaab. The recent failed Jubbaland assault after Madobe won the elections was dangerous because it nearly caused civil war. It was embarrassing as well because Somali soldiers were captured, detained and returned to Mogadishu by Jubbaland forces. Many more fled into Kenya.
Now, the government has forgotten about security; It turned to displacing innocent people from public lands which they sold dubiously to friends and for political interest. Even the reappointment of General Odowa who president Hassan Sheikh sacked only a year earlier had not changed the low morale of the Somali army. The General himself looks tired and might resign soon.
Army morale is at its lowest according to serving senior officials. Many soldiers remember president Hassan Sheikh telling them to work for $100 or go home in 2015. Now thousands have died because of tactical failures because of nepotism. Fighting terrorism in Somalia will be harder because of the destruction of the national army by president Hassan Sheikh. President Trump is defunding the US trained Danab forces and this he will do without consulting anyone in Villa Somalia.
