Somalia removes security chief, warns of al Shabaab retaliation
Sun Sep 7, 2014 1:36pm GMT
* U.S. forces killed Godane in air strike on Monday
* Somali government and army on high alert for revenge attacks
By Abdi Sheikh
MOGADISHU, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Somalia replaced its national security
director on Sunday and put its army on alert for retaliation after the
Islamist militant group al Shabaab confirmed its leader had been killed in a
U.S. air strike.
Al Shabaab vowed revenge on Saturday for the killing of Ahmed Godane, named
the little-known Sheikh Ahmad Umar Abu Ubaidah as its new head, and
reaffirmed its affiliation to al Qaeda.
National Security Director Abdullahi Mohamed Ali had only been in his post
since July. In an announcement after a cabinet meeting, government spokesman
Ridwan Abdiweli gave no reason for the change but said Ali's deputy would
stand in for him.
He said the defence and security ministers had called for "particular
vigilance" following Godane's death.
In a speech broadcast on radio and television on Saturday, National Security
Minister General Khalif Ahmed Ereg said the government was preparing for
possible attacks on hospitals or schools, and put the armed forces on higher
alert.
Godane had dramatically raised al Shabaab's profile with bombings and
suicide attacks in Somalia and elsewhere in the region, including Kenya and
Uganda.
Somali forces and African Union (AU) peacekeepers have mounted push against
al Shabaab this year after a surge in gun and bomb attacks in Mogadishu,
notably on legislators and the presidential palace.
Western governments as well as neighbouring countries want to neutralise a
group that they say has exploited Somalia's chaos to attract jihadists from
abroad and train them to fight.
Al Shabaab, whose name means "The Youth", wants to impose a strict version
of Islam. It controlled Mogadishu and the southern region of Somalia from
2006 until 2011, when it was pushed back by AU forces.
(Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Kevin Liffey)