Mogadishu, Somalia — The President of Somalia the priority of his government is to fight and eliminate the Al-Shabaab and restore law and order in the entire country before his 4-year tenure ends in early 2026.

"Many areas that have been under the control of terrorists for a long time are free today. The citizens are living with honor and dignity," said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The president made the remarks while presiding over the pass-out parade of Gorgor soldiers at the TukSom training camp in Mogadishu on Thursday.

He also said Somalia does not want to face longer the menace of the Al-Shabaab to continue, and he called on the Somali people to unite against the Al-Qaeda-linked group.

Since the election of Hassan Sheikh as president in May 2022, the Somali government has gained ground in its war with Al-Shabaab, mainly in central Somalia.

Most of the progress in the total offensive is due to Mogadishu's leveraging of local discontent with Al-Shabaab to form alliances with clan militias in HirShabelle and Galmudug states.

The first phase of the war, launched in August 2022, concentrated on uprooting al-Shabaab's gains in central Somalia, where the SNA captured dozens of villages and towns.