Mogadishu (PP Comment) —The massacre of innocent Somalis during a night out at Lido Beach by Al-Shabaab terrorist operatives fits into the pattern of attacks the terrorist outfit carries out in areas populated by civilians. It knows that security procedures for government and security premises serve to foil many attacks. Whenever Al-Shabaab faces massive setbacks on the battlefield, it targets civilians in Mogadishu. By now, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) should have had a profile of the attacks the group launches to give the mischievous message that the government “is too weak to protect citizens against terrorist attacks.”
In 2022, during the month of Ramadan, an Al-Shabaab attack on a restaurant near Lido Beach was prevented after an officer spotted the suicide bomber. Al-Shabaab uses suicide bombers before its armed gangs storm the area they plan to attack. The dual-attack method it employs can be prevented if security forces adopt strict security procedures similar to those in places inhabited by government officials or where government or security offices are located.
The Federal Government of Somalia ought to strike a judicious balance between its desire to use the youth nightlife at areas such as Lido Beach as a sign of improved security and the vulnerability Al-Shabaab persistently exploits to kill and maim civilians. Mogadishu is a capital city at war with ruthless terrorists. Adopting multilayer security procedures to prevent Al-Shabaab attacks on civilian areas must be a top security priority.
Lessons from Al-Shabaab attacks must be shared with all security forces. Rapid response forces in Mogadishu and field security forces ought to practise preventive measures and how to spot Al-Shabaab operatives before they cause mayhem. Hamza Abdi Barre, the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, said that officers in charge of security at Lido Beach had been arrested. Al-Shabaab is known to bribe unscrupulous officers. In 2013, it bribed a man working for the Federal Government of Somalia who facilitated an attack on Villa Somalia, the presidency. Al-Shabaab approached a worker at the People’s Assembly (the Lower House) to gather information on the area Members of the Parliament do park their cars and when they arrive for parliamentary sessions. Al-Shabaab’s capabilities have been substantially degraded since 2022 when the Ma’awisley campaign was launched. The counterterrorism war against Al-Shabaab and its enablers must continue without forgetting the importance of committing more resources to diminish security vulnerabilities that put the lives of people in Mogadishu at risk.
© Puntland Post, 2024
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