In an opinion piece published on Asharq Al-Awsat, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warned of growing terrorist threats in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
He revealed surviving a sixth assassination attempt by Al-Shabaab on March 18 while en route to the airport in Mogadishu, saying, “These attacks target Somalia’s future, not just me personally.”
Mohamud said his government combats terrorism both ideologically and financially, working with scholars and disrupting funding networks.
“We shut down hundreds of suspicious accounts,” he noted, highlighting the success of recent operations in central and northeastern Somalia.
He said these efforts have cleared areas once controlled by militants and restored public confidence in the state.
Mohamud warned that Al-Shabaab, ISIS, and the Houthis are now cooperating across borders to destabilize the region.
“Our intelligence intercepted communications and seized drones and explosives sent from Yemen,” he said.
Somali forces are currently battling terrorists in the Al-Miskad Mountains (Bari region), Hiran, and Middle Shabelle.
The president cautioned that extremists seek control of strategic coastlines and waterways crucial to global trade and regional security, calling on neighboring countries to increase coordination to prevent the Gulf of Aden from becoming a terrorist haven.
“Defeating terrorism in Somalia is key to securing the entire Red Sea region,” he said, praising Saudi Arabia’s leadership and reaffirming Somalia’s support for the Islamic coalition against the Houthis in Yemen.
He concluded by urging international partners to act, stressing that regional peace depends on shared responsibility and united action.
