Somalia’s President, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, has given Al Shabaab militants 60 days to surrender. The president is offering education and jobs to those al-Shabaab members who takes advantage of the amnesty.
“The government cordially welcomes them. We shall give them education; we shall create jobs for them. We do not want to kill our youth. We urge you again to leave al Shabaab as soon as possible. “You have 60 days.”
Mohamed said his government would want to pardon the Somali youth who were deceived to join the al Qaeda-linked group, al shabaab.
President Mohamed named new security chiefs before making the announcement on Thursday. Those named include the director of national security and intelligence, military commander among other security chiefs.
“We have ordered all the security forces and military to be ready for making peace and today there is a new change in the military commanders, security officials,” Mohamed told reporters.
Somalia has been at war for 26 yrs after the president was overthrown and clans turned on each other.
Somalia military members get paid a monthly salary of $100, an amount that has been a challenge to raise in the past, and that will be the new president’s major challenge.