Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said he is a prime target of the Islamist group al-Shabab, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda.

In an interview with the BBC’s Paul Njie, he said the militants had tried to assassinate him five times in the last two years, most recently in March. He insists the group has been weakened.

Analysts have, however, pointed to its recent territorial gains as evidence it remains a major threat.

President Mohamud also dismissed fears of clashes between Egyptian and Ethiopian peacekeepers in Somalia, saying his country would not become a battleground for regional disputes.