The Al-Shebab group on May 17 seized control of Johwar strategic town that links Mogadishu to the volatile central region, while continuing to amass its militants in preparation for an offensive on the capital. “The Shebab forces have taken full control of Johwar,” Ali Moalim Hassan, a town elder, reportedly said. Shebab has seized the strategic city after two hours of heavy clashes with pro-government fighters in which both sides used heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons. “The other Islamist militia backing the government deserted their positions,” said Hassan.
Johwar, some 90 kilometres northern of Mogadishu, is the hometown of President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and the stronghold of his allies. Shebab fighters have already started patrolling the city and taking positions in government buildings. “We see Shebab militants heavily armed with machine guns patrolling the streets in the town,” confirmed Abdikarim Adan, another town elder. “They also took control of the police headquarters.” Shebab, a splinter group of the Islamic Courts Union, once led by President Sharif, is refusing to talk to the new president and has vowed to topple his government. Sheikh Sharif has extended his hands to his opponents and endorsed the implementation of Shari’ah to win them over, but to no success.