Somalia Rebels Begin to Retreat

On Friday, Kenya said that Somalia's al-Shabaab militants were showing signs of retreating after the country had deployed more troops in southern Somalia to secure its border from rebels in Nairobi accused of kidnapping foreigners few days ago.

Speaking in Addis Ababa after an Intergovernmental Authority on Development meeting, Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said Nairobi was making noticeable advancements against the insurgents.

Moses Wetangula said, "Al Shabaab are definitely on the run. They are also looking weaker and weaker by the day. But when you are fighting your opponents weakness may just turn out to be something else. So you must be alert throughout.

Kenya has launched brief cross-border intrusions into Somalia after the militants launched an insurgency in 2007 but this operation is on a larger scale, signaling Nairobi's resolve in eradicating the threat to the country.

He added: "When you are exercising the right to defend your integrity, you don't need to tell anybody, and even if there is no support, that right does not go away. You must exercise it. The defence of your country, the defence of our people and the security of our people in the horn of Africa is primarily the duty of the countries of the IGAD."

Kenya is the latest of Somalia's neighbors to become deeply involved militarily in a country that has not had an effective government for the last 20 years.

Since being forced out of Mogadishu months ago, the militants linked to al-Qaeda have managed to carry out deadly attacks against government institutions, raising concerns about the government's failure to secure the capital.

Speaker: Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula