Somali prime minister urges international community to help Somalia fight terrorism

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - The Somali prime minister has urged the international community to help his government fight the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group al-Shabaab.

Speaking at the Tokyo International Conference for African development on Sunday, Hamza Abdi Barre said that Somalia has made progress despite enormous challenges of insecurity, terrorism, inflation, and a prolonged drought.

The Al-Shabaab terror group has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union peacekeeping mission in the country for more than 15 years.

Last week, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced that his government will launch a "total war" against al-Shabaab terrorists, after the group staged a deadly hotel siege in the capital Mogadishu, killing at least 21 people and wounding 117 others.