The Somali National Army (SNA) and Ma’awisley militia liberated El Buur, a strategic town in the Galmudug State of central Somalia. This critical development comes after the government troops captured an area 17 km from El Buur yesterday. Al-Shabaab reportedly withdrew without a fight.
El Buur, Galgaduud, Galmudug, SOMALIA. By Dalmar:
According to our sources, no fighting occurred in the town. However, several suicide attacks by al-Shabaab reportedly rocked the area. As of now, the number of casualties remains unknown. Al-Shabaab claims that one of those attacks killed 59 soldiers, mostly from the Danab special forces. However, the group often exaggerates its battlefield claims.
As long as the Somali government can hold and govern the city, its capture means a significant victory over the militants. Unfortunately, the government has a long history of failing in that. Fears are high that al-Shabaab might retake control in some days or weeks, as it did in Ruun-Nirgood two days ago. Most importantly, the government forces should work on building their bond with the local people.
El Buur has been under different levels of al-Shabaab’s influence for the past 15 years. The situation there illustrates the challenge of maintaining liberated territories. In April 2017, al-Shabaab retook the town after Ethiopian troops, who had occupied it for almost three years, abandoned it. The withdrawal and subsequent loss of El Buur to the Islamists has been emblematic of a broader trend in the region.
The case of Wabho
Earlier this week, the SNA took control of Wabho, a town located strategically between Mahaas and El Buur, a significant milestone in the government’s ongoing efforts to liberate the region from al-Shabaab. However, the history of control in this region underscores a pattern of temporary victories and rapid losses, raising questions about the government’s capacity to maintain control.
Wabho, a critical hub in Galgaduud, has experienced multiple changes in control since 2014. Ethiopian forces initially captured the town from al-Shabaab in August of that year but lost it to a swift al-Shabaab counterattack in December. A second Ethiopian campaign to retake the town succeeded in October 2015, only to see forces abandon it in June 2016. Most recently, in November 2022, the Somali government captured Wabho, only for al-Shabaab to reclaim it days later after the government withdrew.
