It is never too late to do the right thing and make a turn around, as shown in the case of Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi a former top commander from Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group, Shabab rebels. He has quit from his past life of violence and has embraced peace. In his first public interview since surrendering last month, Zakariya Hersi has encouraged his former comrades to emulate him and make peace with Somalia’s government.
He is quoted as saying “I call on and encourage all my friends to seek out a peaceful way of resolving all conflicts and towards reconciliation, as Al-Shabab is now in total collapse,”
The ex militant, who spoke to reporters from Somalia’s information ministry in Mogadishu, also said his appearance on Tuesday in public was to put to rest those who said he had been tortured in government custody, or had been handed over to “foreign countries”. Somalia’s government had said in a statement that militants who surrender will have the chance to reintegrate with Somali society, and that their safety was guaranteed.
Hersi surrendered in late December in the southern region’s border town, Gedo while he was fleeing from members of the extremist group who wanted him dead. He told reporters that some of the militants opposed the leadership’s approach and its flawed doctrine, and that Shabab’s current leadership, who succeeded their slain former leader is carrying out a “distorted form of the holy jihad, which has resulted in countless innocent Somali citizens being killed.”