Somalia says it has won the military war against the militant Islamists al-Shabab, leading the group to switch to terror tactics.
Somalia’s Information Minister, Abdirahman Osman, told the BBC’s Newsday programme that the extremists would soon be totally defeated.
His comments come after it was announced African Union (AU) forces were to gradually withdraw from the country over the next two years.
The first contingent of 1000 soldiers will leave by the end of the year.
Mr Osman said the withdrawal was going ahead despite the devastating truck bomb attack in Mogadishu last month in which nearly 400 people were killed.
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