Gov’t, rebel spokesmen: Islamist militia leaving many bases in Somali capital
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Government and rebel spokesmen say that Islamist forces are pulling out of the Somali capital of Mogadishu.
Government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman said Saturday that al-Shabab was retreating from the city. He called it a “golden victory for the Somali people.”
The extent of the retreat or what it means was not immediately clear. Residents reported al-Shabab militia leaving their positions overnight. The militia has never abandoned the city entirely.
Somalia is in the grip of famine and has had no functioning government for 20 years.
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