Mogadishu (Sunatimes) Al-shabab militants on Monday announced that they have opened militia training for 460 elders in the Lower Shabele region.

The Shabab official for the Lower Shabele region, Mohamed Abu Abdala said his group was preparing the elders to participate in the ongoing fighting between their militias and the African Union peace keepers together with the Transitional Federal Government soldiers.

While addressing the recruits, Abdu Abdala said, all members of the society should participate in the war going in Somalia. He said there was the need to wipe out the peace keepers who he described as “invaders” of the country.

Elsewhere, Al-shababa officials in Qoryoley, marka and Kurtunwarey districts of the Lower Shabelle region have called on the local elders to bring youths for militia training. The officials urged elders of different clans to contribute several recruits to their militia group.

Some of the elders were worried of Al-shabab’s request fearing that their youths could die in the fighting between Al-shabab and the forces supporting the TFG including the African Union troops in Mogadishu.

Since the Al-shabab group lost ground to the TFG in recent battles, the group embarked on an awareness campaign to urge different members of the community to join their fighters.

By Abdisalan Abdulle

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