Wednesday 26,March 2025 {HMC} Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has returned to the frontlines in the Middle Shabelle region to boost morale ahead of a renewed military offensive against the Al-Shabaab insurgency, in what government officials describe as a critical phase of the national campaign to reclaim territory and restore state authority.
The president arrived in the strategic town of Raaga Elle on Monday, where he addressed hundreds of Macawisley fighters — local militia drawn from the community who have become central to the government’s grassroots war effort. From there, he travelled to Cadale, a coastal town in the same region, to continue leading field operations and mobilizing local support.
“You are the shield between our people and terror,” Mohamud told the assembled fighters. “We will not rest until Al-Shabaab’s grip is broken and the pain they’ve inflicted on our communities is brought to an end.”
The president’s return to the battlefield follows a brief trip to Mogadishu, where he held closed-door talks with the new Chairperson of the African Union and a high-level delegation from the United Arab Emirates. According to Somali officials, the meetings focused on regional security and expanding international support for the fight against violent extremism.
In recent months, Somalia’s federal government has intensified its military campaign against Al-Shabaab, targeting the group’s strongholds in central regions with a combination of ground operations and U.S.-backed airstrikes. While territorial gains have been made, security analysts warn that Al-Shabaab remains deeply embedded in rural areas, capable of regrouping and launching asymmetric attacks. A stark example occurred last Tuesday when a roadside bomb targeted President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy near Villa Somalia in Mogadishu.
The Macawisley fighters — whose name comes from the traditional sarong worn by Somali men — have emerged as a symbol of civilian resistance in Somalia’s war-torn landscape. Armed with light weapons and backed by the Somali National Army, they have reclaimed dozens of villages in a conflict that blends conventional warfare with local grievance and resilience.
