MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud renewed an amnesty offer for members of militant groups who voluntarily leave, reject being used as tools, and renounce violence, officials said Tuesday.
Speaking on Tuesday evening, Mohamud noted that militants often increase attacks during Ramadan and said there was “nothing more un-Islamic than killing innocent civilians.”
Somalia has previously issued multiple amnesty offers, but the government has never publicly assessed how many militants took advantage of them or the program’s overall impact.
The defection program has faced challenges including underfunding and reports of fake al-Shabaab infiltrators, which have undermined trust and discouraged genuine defectors.
The new offer aims to encourage militants to abandon violence and reintegrate into society, while emphasizing that attacks on civilians remain unacceptable.