Somalia: Govt declares ‘people’s uprising against al-Shabab‘ as more key towns are attacked

At least 15 people were killed and more than 50 injured in three bombings Saturday (14 January) in central Somalia, which comes after the country’s government announced a “people’s uprising” Thursday (12 January) as it seeks to pressure al-Shabab from all angles, including financial ones.

The suicide car bomb in Bulobarde town, some 220 kilometers north of Mogadishu, killed at least 11 people and injured more than 50, witnesses and medical officials said. This happened as a suicide bomber driving an SUV vehicle laden with explosives reportedly came under fire from security forces before reaching his goal, but detonated explosives near a police station and the base of the African Union peacekeepers from Djibouti. Meanwhile, another powerful car bomb exploded near a Somali military checkpoint in Jalalaqsi town, some 160 kilometers north of Mogadishu, when soldiers operating the checkpoint intercepted an explosives-laden vehicle. Another one went off almost simultaneously nearby when security officials shot the driver of the vehicle.

People across the Horn of Africa nation are being encouraged by the government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to join his “total war” and stand up to al-Shabab extremists. Members of the extremist group have long been embedded in Somali society, exploiting clan divisions and extorting millions of dollars a year from businesses and farmers in their quest to impose an Islamic caliphate. Last week, Somalia’s government upped the game by declaring a “people’s uprising” against al-Shabab, which is widely seen as the most significant offensive against the extremist group in more than a decade. And this time, Somali fighters are in the lead, backed by the United States and African Union forces.