Al Shabaab says 3 Somali govt. troops have defected

Mon Nov 2, 2009

Al Shabaab claims that three soldiers of the Somali government army have defected and joined their ranks.

One of the soldiers who defected said he joined “his Muslim brothers” in Al Shabaab because he had come to the conclusion that the members of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia are puppets of Uganda, the Press TV correspondent in Mogadishu reported.

This was the first time in months that Somali government troops have switched sides.

Al Shabaab broke away from the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) after the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia in December 2006, and its militiamen fought against the Ethiopian troops until they withdrew from the country in January 2009.

Al Shabaab has never recognized any version of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.

Meanwhile, on Monday 60 members of the Somali Parliament asked the speaker to arrange a session of the legislature this week.

The parliament has not held a session since August 19, 2009.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/110281.html.