a decade their aim is to replace the un backed government in to impose radical islamist wall and african union force controls the capital mogadishu but al-shabaab still controls about 20 percent of the country the government is now offering amnesty and rehabilitation to some militants who are willing to leave the group used melanie curie the ball was given rare access to one rehabilitation center in you belong province she spoke to former militants there about why they decided to leave al-shabaab and the nightmares that they still have. they were part of a killing machine terrorizing somalia s population but now they re asking for forgiveness this facility in juba land it s home to 86 young man who used to fight for one of the deadliest islamist extremist groups in the world. here in southern somalia in a town once under siege by al shabaab