American air power against Al-shabaab is paying off this time around.

[galbeedi]

In 2007, after the defeat of the Islamic Courts Union, Kismaayo was taken over by government allied militia and Somali forces under then president C/laahi Yusuf. In the next few months the American air power chased Al-shabaab in the jungles of Jubba region. According to their leaders, the constant American air assault forced them to run and hide constantly ( Waxay dhaheen waan kaadi tagi kari weyney). Somehow in 2009 the American pressure disappeared and those men who could not venture outside to pee were paying the salaries of their militia.

 

From 2012 to 2016, Americans were just concentrating finding certain leaders or the leadership of Al-shabaab with some nominal success. This time around the American offensive with help of Somali ground forces are paying off. Al-shabaab leadership is on the run and for the last few weeks key members are killed. If this trend continues, Al-shabaab forces could no longer assemble in open air camps or move around with their vehicles.

 

If their leadership is decimated and their movements controlled , Al-shabaab as we know will be defeated sooner than we expect. If they spend most of their time and energy to hide and run, they will not be able to organize or plan attacks. Another major development is the defection of Sheekh Mukhtaar Roobow. He was the original members of the group that co-founded the ICU. He has a large following among the South West region, and his defection will weaken Al-shabaab in major ways. I wrote in this pages that religious fundamentalist members who have no connections with the international terrorism but has huge concern with the presence of Ethiopian and foreign forces could be approached . LIke everyone else , they have witnessed the carnage Al-shabaab inflicted the innocent public .Many like Roobow were looking way out but was threatened and sidelined by international terrorist Ahmed Godane and his foreign security apparatus..

 

Last month the Americans removed him from the list of terrorist members that was targeted by financial rewards. It seems the American military leadership in Somalia are coordinating with the Somali government to destroy the military side of the Al-shabaab threat, coupled with bringing the reluctant members who are indigenous Somalis with no connections with international terrorists. The multi national terrorists who room the Jubba area and the Kenyan border are mostly foreigners from Kenya, Tanzania, middle east and abroad. For those ones , Somalia is a collateral damage for their greater goal of destabilizing Muslim nations. This momentum must continue and greater effort must be paid to achieve this goal.

 

The Somali government must not lose the sight of the big picture of eliminating this threat . They should not spend their energy or resources about what stooges like "Xildhibaan Xidig" is planning or the constant quarrels of the Mogadishu mafia. Use the resources you have for the most important task ahead --which is security. You must convince the Americans to coordinate with the Somali state and the national goals of destroying Al-shabaab.

 

Al-shabaab is financed through ransom taking and intimidation.

 

I always believed that international terrorism or rebel movements could not last one month in the bush without the help of foreign powers and constant financing of people with deep pockets. As I said earlier, Al-shabaab members who could not venture outside the Jubba jungle for months were paying cash salaries later. I also believe that the sophisticated laptop laden bombs that had almost brought down a Somalia based airline were the work of international terrorists and their state intelligence helpers. Did you hear that American airlines and airport security are now checking electronic devices before boarding planes?. The Americans said that they have a classified intelligence report about ISIS plots to bring down airlines by using laptops.

 

Well folks, we were the first who reported about the foreign connected intelligence forces who were using laptops and other devices in Somalia. We inquired that how a primitive and poor Somali in Mogadishu could assemble this kind of sophisticated devices. So far some airlines were blown in the skies including some airlines owned by Egypt and other places and no one knows the cause. So in order to sideline the car bombs and other issues that need intelligence , we must stop the financing of these groups.

 

Amisom have been selling weapons in Somalia since 2011. If we put aside the foreign financing and the Ethiopian intelligence using different methods to destabilize Somalia, let us focus on the internal financing of Al-shabaab by Somalis in Mogadishu and elsewhere.

 

Al-shabaab has transformed as criminal enterprise.

 

It is not secret that almost all Mogadishu businesses do pay ransom taxes and other direct payments to Al-shabaab. Restaurants, Telecom companies , Bakara market merchants and NGO's all pay to the Al-shabaab account almost every day. By using mob style intimidation, assassinations and bombings , they collect huge amount of money from these businesses. A civil servant who came from Mogadishu told me that as soon as business is opened they must call Al-shabaab and deliver the ransom taxes voluntarily. He Told me about a new restaurant opened by a guy from Banadir, and after few months the restaurant became successful. His friends told him to call and contact the killers before they come and bomb the place. He did. "Waxay dhaheen waan ku ognahy in ay makhaayadu kuu socoto, cashuurta halkaas gee, Gabdhaha meesha ka shaqeeyana dharka ka bedel".

 

 

 

This criminals will not hesitate to murder or bomb those who refuse to pay the ransom. Have you ever heard that big telecom businesses or huge national companies ever been targeted by Al-shabaab?, No they never target them because they pay their ransom. Huge NGO's who operate Al-shabaab controlled area pay their ransom as well. He told me about an individual who after getting a contact through the NGO, voluntarily went to " Ceelasha Biyaha" and delivered $10,000 cash to a shop run by Al-shabaab representative. When he asked about a receipt or some kind of evidence, he was told that everything's under control and he should proceed to his contract. Imagine hundred of businesses out of fear or self interest giving millions to Al-shabaab voluntarily. Folks , this thing was going on for years. You have telecom companies openly and without fear operating Al-shabaab controlled regions. They should have shut down and disconnected any contacts with these people.

 

We were all wondering that, How could these killers afford to blow up a ten thousand dollar car?, because they have the money, millions of direct payments from businesses.

 

This kind of voluntary ransom paying schemes will only prolong the suffering of the Somali people. People and businesses must be encouraged to refuse and ask protection from the government .Governments, even rich ones like America and Canada refuse to pay ransom to terrorists in order to eliminate the cash flow to killers, otherwise every citizen would have a target in his back.

 

This week, for the first time, the Somali security and intelligence leadership is focusing the issue of the financial support provided by certain businesses in Mogadishu to Al-shabaab. Cutting the financial pipeline to Al-shabaab is one of the biggest puzzles of the fight against terrorism in Somalia. Tough political decisions must be made in Mogadishu in order to change the old ways of doing things.It is this kind of bold and effective policies that would bring genuine security. Those who want to keep the status quo will speak loud and cry foul, but decisions must be made.

 

Make a hotline for people to call and trace those who are calling. The so called internet banking must be regulated. Without the cash flow , this criminal enterprise masquerading as a religious movement, might die sooner that we think.