Washington (Caasimada Online) – Somalia on Sunday dismissed suggestions that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s speech on national security was a rebuttal to a recent US warning of potential Al-Shabaab attacks in Mogadishu, calling it a routine address amid escalating efforts to counter the Islamist insurgency.

The statement aims to clarify public speculation linking the US alert, issued earlier this month, to Mohamud’s subsequent Friday sermon, as the Horn of Africa nation faces mounting pressure from the Al-Qaeda-linked group.

Somali Ambassador to the United States, Dahir Arab, told VOA Somali that Mohamud’s address on March 7 was a general update on Somalia’s security gains, not a response to the US Embassy’s warning.

The embassy had cautioned American citizens about intelligence pointing to imminent Al-Shabaab attacks in Mogadishu, including possible targets like Aden Abdulle International Airport.

“The president’s remarks were not directed at the US warning,” Arab said. “It was a planned speech on our ongoing fight for stability, nothing more.”

In his Friday sermon at a Mogadishu mosque, Mohamud downplayed immediate threats. “Somalia stands stronger today. No new dangers loom, and Al-Shabaab has not reclaimed liberated zones,” he said, urging citizens to support security efforts during Ramadan—a period often exploited by militants for attacks.

US-Somalia security collaboration

Arab reaffirmed the deep security ties between Somalia and the United States, a key partner in combating Al-Shabaab.

“The US provides invaluable intelligence and training,” he said, noting American support for the Somali National Army (SNA) and elite Danab forces in recent operations.

The US warning, issued days before Mohamud’s speech, followed reports of Al-Shabaab regaining ground, including the El-Baraf area in Middle Shabelle on March 6, despite government claims of control.

Posts on X on March 8 suggested a worsening crisis, with unverified claims of SNA desertions due to unpaid salaries and Al-Shabaab advancing within 30 kilometers of Mogadishu—assertions lacking official confirmation.

Al-Shabaab continues to defy Somalia’s military offensive, launched in August 2022 under Mohamud’s “total war” pledge.

The group, active since 2007, holds rural enclaves and targets Mogadishu with sophisticated attacks, including a February 2024 infiltration of an Emirati-run base that killed 18 soldiers.

Mohamud’s campaign, backed by the new African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) since January 2025, has reclaimed territory but struggles to hold it.

The transition from ATMIS, completed in December 2024, has exposed gaps in SNA readiness, with experts warning of a potential security vacuum.

Call for unity amid transition

Mohamud used his speech to rally Somalis against foreign reliance.

“This is our nation to secure and build,” he said, as AUSSOM’s 11,900 troops assist in stabilizing liberated areas. The address coincided with Ramadan’s start, a time when Al-Shabaab historically intensifies operations.

Somalia’s strategic position on the Horn of Africa, bordering key shipping lanes, amplifies its security stakes.

Decades of instability since 1991 have left Mogadishu, a city of over two million, vulnerable yet resilient. Tensions with Ethiopia over a Somaliland deal further complicate regional dynamics.

The government’s clarification follows the US Embassy’s tightened security measures in Mogadishu, including staff movement restrictions.

Arab sought to dispel rumors: “Our US partnership remains firm, but Somalia’s path forward depends on its people.” Mohamud’s upbeat tone contrasts with the US alert, reflecting a delicate balance between projecting confidence and acknowledging threats.

As Ramadan unfolds, Somalia braces for potential Al-Shabaab strikes, with the SNA and AUSSOM on high alert to safeguard the capital’s fragile gains.