FILE – A solider navigates through the aftermath of a harrowing attack. In the city of Mogadishu, amidst scattered wreckage and fallen dreams, the Afrik hotel stands as a somber reminder of an incident on February 1, 2021. Though the attack was eventually thwarted by security forces, the scars it left behind are a testament to the ongoing strife in Somalia. With a bold statement on Saturday, Somalia’s government delivered a stark warning: those who pay extortion money to al-Shabab will face the gavel of justice.
In a rare display of unanimity, high-ranking officials gathered for a press conference in the heart of the Somali capital. Chaired by Somalia’s Minister of Internal Security, Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, and joined by the Minister of Religious Affairs, Mukhtar Ali Robow, the consortium of leaders included the government’s attorney general and the deputy minister of information. A unequivocal message was conveyed: businesses and individuals entangled with al-Shabab financially will not only face legal consequences, but may also have their government-issued business permits revoked. Why jeopardize one’s livelihood by dealing with those intent on destruction?
“Do not let your wealth be the harbinger of your demise,” Minister Ismail passionately declared. In an assertive move, the government has targeted financial lifelines of these insurgents, closing accounts that funnel resources to them with alarming efficiency.
Last year, soon after his May 2022 election victory, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud pronounced a “total war” against the belligerent al-Qaida-linked group. Not merely an armed struggle, this campaign includes severing the fiscal veins that nourish these militants. In January 2023, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre proudly recounted the closure of over 250 bank accounts and numerous mobile money lines known to serve al-Shabab. Barre’s words underscored a strategy that is not confined to combat but extends to financial obliteration.
The intangible hand of fear that has long coerced businesses into submission, extorting funds and imposing ‘taxes,’ must find its grip broken. What excuse remains to finance a group that thrives on intimidation and terror, as Robow, who once fought for the same cause he now denounces, implored? His rhetorical question lingers, echoing the resolve of a man who has seen the inner workings of darkness.
Abdirahman Yusuf al-Adala, the earnest Deputy Minister of Information, revealed a crucial detail: the government has intelligence on those aiding al-Shabab and groups like ISIS. “Make no mistake,” al-Adala emphasized, “no one will escape unpunished.” The government’s vigilance is a formidable barrier against treasonous acts that sustain terrorism.
Ismail lauded this comprehensive assault on the network of terror. “We have conquered financial, media, and ideological battlefields, alongside the physical front lines,” Ismail confidently stated, reflecting on the government’s multifaceted strategy against al-Shabab. Yet, the minister reminded citizens that clandestine dealings with such groups are known, heralding a grim fate for those caught in such engagements.
The stern warning from the Somali government echoed the determined deliberations of the 7th Prosecutors’ Conference of Somalia, held in Mogadishu that very week. The conference represented an epochal step in combating terrorist financing, crucial to ensuring the nation’s security and stability.
This year’s conference was a crucible for the necessity to dismantle the financial nexus of extremist groups. Dialogues resonated with calls for bolstered legal frameworks and inter-agency cooperation. “We must dismantle the economic foundations of terrorism and guarantee the rule of law,” a government statement exhorted, encapsulating the ethos of the gathering.
Regional Police Commander Moalim Mahdi, overseeing the Banadir region comprising Mogadishu, addressed the gravity of the situation. The clandestine taxes levied upon traders inadvertently sustain the very violence that claims innocent lives. “Explosive attacks in the capital sometimes cost as much as $80,000 per operation,” Mahdi lamented. Terrifyingly, these funds are sourced, in part, from the very individuals striving to carve out an honest living in markets like Bakara.
With grim precision, Mahdi recounted the journey of funds, funneled from extorted traders to manufacturers, and he spoke of the perilous pilgrimage of explosives across regions before reaching their deadly destinations. “Transactions range from $10,000 to $80,000 per mission,” Mahdi noted, underscoring the intricate web of terror financing. Yet, why do merchants yield to these demands? Fear, retribution, and the gnawing dread of collective punishment fuel their compliance. But Mahdi warns, these payments only perpetuate the cycle of violence, sealing the fate of countless civilians.
With a sense of urgency born of necessity, Somalia strives to curtail the venomous flow of terrorist finances, a relentless pursuit of peace in a fragile land.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring
