Somalia rejects Crisis Group report on Al-Shabaab, says it distorts counterterrorism campaign

MOGADISHU, July 7 – Somalia’s Ministry of Defence rejected a report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) on the country’s fight against the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, accusing the organisation of publishing an unbalanced assessment that misrepresented the government’s counterterrorism campaign.

In a statement, the ministry criticised the report, released on June 30, saying it contained factual inaccuracies and wrongly suggested that Al-Shabaab had become a more restrained or responsible actor toward civilians.

“The portrayal is false and an affront to the thousands of Somalis who have been killed, wounded, displaced or terrorised by the group,” the ministry said, citing victims including soldiers, clan elders, religious leaders, women and children.

The ministry argued that any reduction in the group’s ability to intimidate civilians, collect illegal taxes or operate freely had resulted from sustained military pressure by the Somali National Army, resistance from local communities and continued support from international partners, rather than any voluntary change in the group’s behaviour.

It also accused the report of overlooking the sacrifices made by Somali security forces, saying the improved security situation in the capital, Mogadishu, was achieved through military operations that recaptured territory, dismantled militant networks, killed senior commanders and restricted Al-Shabaab’s movements.

“To exaggerate the group’s tactical adjustments while downplaying those sacrifices lacks both academic integrity and moral responsibility,” the statement said.

The ministry expressed particular concern over what it described as attempts to portray Al-Shabaab in a more humanitarian light by interpreting tactical changes as evidence of better governance or greater concern for civilians.

It warned that such analysis risked reinforcing the group’s propaganda by sanitising the image of an organisation responsible for mass killings, suicide bombings, child recruitment, extortion, sexual violence and widespread abuses against civilians.

“No analysis can erase these crimes or confer legitimacy on a terrorist organisation,” the ministry said.

The government called on research institutions to ensure their publications do not inadvertently enhance the credibility of extremist groups or diminish the sacrifices of those fighting them.

Somalia reaffirmed its commitment to defeating Al-Shabaab and praised the country’s armed forces, security agencies, local communities and international partners for their role in improving the country’s security, saying history would record that Somalia’s progress had been achieved through sacrifice rather than any moderation by the militant group.