The Somali Islamist rebel group Al shabab which is accused of having ties with Alqadead on Thursday denounced the European Union bid to train thousands of Somali troops saying that the move will exacerbate the country’s already troubled situation.
Al Shabab spokesman sheik Ali Mahmoud Raghe who talked to reporters in Mogadishu late on Thursday said that the training bid for Somali government forces is a new western strategy intended to massacre the war-weary Somali people.
“The so-called training by the United Christians of Europe will produce no good results but will instead increase massacre against Somalia’s vulnerable people, and the Muhajideens are ready to defend people, country and the religion from the invading enemies” the militant spokesman stated.
“We know that the troops of the puppet government will be taught in Uganda how to kill their Muslim brothers in Somalia, but the holy warriors are committed to capture the whole country before they are brought here” he added.
He accused the European Union of already assisting the African Union Peace keeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) which he described as invading enemies who are killing innocent Somalis.
The European Union said in a statement that the training for 2,000 Somali troops will commence in Uganda next week.
Mean while, he accused the Somali pirates of attacking and hijacking the commercial ships carrying business goods for Somalia, saying that this kind of abduction will have back fire on the Somali people and the country’s economy also.
“They have already justified that they were fighting against foreign ships engaged in illegal fishing off the coast of Somalia and sometimes were pouring waste nuclear materials, but now they seem to have changed their ideology, because they have abducted more vessels which were carrying goods for Somalia” he stated.
He called on the Somali buccaneers to unconditionally free the vessels they are holding as soon as possible, although he didn’t say what steps they will take against pirates if they turn a deaf ear to his call.
