Somali Government Welcomes Zaki’s Rejection of Al-Shabaab’s Ideology

Mogadishu, 27 January 2015: On behalf of HE the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheik Mohamud, HE the Prime Minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke and the Federal Government of Somalia, the Ministry of Information welcomes Zakaria Ismail Hersi aka Zaki’s public statement rejecting al-Shabaab and violence and choosing instead the path of peace and stability. Zaki’s rejection of Al-Shabaab and his brave step will hopefully inspire others to follow his example and join the peace process.
Zaki has exposed how a few leaders within al-Shabaab, through sheer ruthlessness, hijacked the whole organisation with their own ill-conceived agendas and distorted concept of the Holy Jihad, a foreign and alien vision, and subsequently committed a range of outrages and violations of the human rights of Somali citizens.
Zaki calls upon and on encourages his friends to join him in choosing peace and reconciliation as a means of solving conflicts, an urgent message for those still trapped inside al-Shabaab as the organisation collapses.
The Federal Government of Somalia has consistently offered members of al-Shabaab who have realised the error of their ways and who renounce violence the opportunity to reintegrate with Somali society and guarantees their safety. As Zaki says, we can solve our differences through peaceful means.
ENDS