Hundreds of people in the Somali capital Mogadishu, attended a government-organised rally on Thursday to protest against the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group.
Al-Shabab has been waging a bloody uprising against the internationally-backed central government since 2007, carrying out attacks in Somalia and neighbouring countries, which sent troops to help in the fight against the armed group.
Somalia’s government and allied clan groups have forced al-Shabab from large swaths of territory since launching a major offensive last August, but the group has retaliated with a string of attacks, including bombings in Mogadishu.
