A total of 545 members of the armed Islamist militant group Al Shabaab have accepted an amnesty offered by the Somali Government after the death of former leader of the militia, Ahmed Abdi Godane.
The number was reported on Monday by the Barbaar Initiative, an international agency which support the reintegration of former fighters. The increasing number of desertions from the militant ranks shows that the group is gradually being weakened by continuing military offensives and loss of income, the Government claims.
The Somali ministry of youth and sports has called for support from the international community to promote the reintegration process and the training of terrorists who put down their weapons.
The Government amnesty, which could be taken advantage of in 45 days after it was offered, aims to incite fighters from Al Shabaab, a group that in February 2012 joined the Al Qaeda terrorist network, to abandon the armed struggle.