Somalia is at war with a cruel, global and morally bankrupt terrorist group which we cannot allow to live and operate in our country. If we do not root this evil and mindlessly violent group out of our society, they will destroy our future and that of the generations to come. Enough is enough! This nightmare must finally end. Al-Shabaab has made it their standard operating procedure to kill, maim, extort, and rob the Somali people of their hard-earned sources of livelihood and property. They remain the most existential threat to the gradually recovering Somali state. At this painfully difficult time of humanitarian and economic challenges, they continue to blow up water wells, forcefully take away people's livestock and extort payment from struggling businesses that support families, individuals, and their communities. This group is a cancer in our system, and we must respond with our collective might to challenge and defeat them once and for all. If we do not do this, Somalia's future and the welfare of the coming generations will be bleak. I am proud of the courage of our resilient communities across Somalia which have joined forces with their government security services to make a firm stand against Al-Shabab and their abuse and subjugation of our people and nation. Our unified message is clear: we will no longer be bullied, humiliated, killed, or extorted. We will defend ourselves, our communities, and our country against international terrorists. Terrorism will have no friend or anywhere to call home in Somalia. Since the fight against global terrorism began in Somalia in 2007, there has never been a time when I felt more hopeful about defeating Al-Shabaab than I am now. That is because, today, we are united, energized and determined to secure a better future for our nation. Somalia's bright light of hope will not be darkened by terrorists any longer. We will progress and prosper together while the terrorists will, and must, be defeated and consigned to the dustbin of history.