Dozens of pro-government religious scholars on Monday gathered in the capital Mogadishu for their second annual conference organized by the administration of president hassan sheikh mohamud.
Addressing the meeting,somali president hassan sheikh mohamud asked the religious scholars to support his government’s fight against alshabaab insurgents and efforts to wipe out extremism in the war-torn horn of Africa nation.
In their previous gathering last year,the scholars issued a fatwa describing the militant group as”Khawarijites”,though religious leaders affliated with alshabaab contradicted the ruling in a parallel meeting held in areas under the control of insurgents.
The meeting comes after somali government’s military campaign against militants in central Somalia has stalled over the past months following al-shabaab counter-offensive that put the somali national army and allied clan militias on the backfoot,forcing them to retreat large swathes of territory seized in the initial phase of the offensive operations.
Source:somaliguardian