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Somali warns entrepreneurs against Al Shabaab financial dealings
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    Sunday October 16, 2022




    Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali Ministry of Commerce and Industry has issued a strong warning for entrepreneurs who deal with the al-Qaeda-affiliated al Shabab group.

    In a statement released on Saturday, the ministry said that the people in business or companies found to be affiliated with al-Shabab will have their licenses revoked, and prosecution services will take legal action against them.

    "Any merchant who obeys instructions issued by the terrorists, and pays them income, will never be allowed to do business in Somalia again," the ministry said in a letter to traders.

    "Any company found to involve members of al-Shabab, or that sponsors their merchandise, will have their property, including real estate, confiscated by the government."

    This decision is part of the government's measures to cripple al-Shabab's income from the community to eliminate the funding they use for bombings and attacks.

    The Office of the Attorney General of Somalia recently announced that the government has declared economic war against al-Shabab. 

    The office also investigated entrepreneurs who allegedly passed customer data to the group and pledged that it would release the result of its investigation soon.

    The  Somali government said that four import companies were working closely with Al Shabaab in collecting extortion money from businesses.

    "Somali businessmen are complaining that Al-Shabaab groups are receiving information before the businessman receives the container from China," said the minister said.

    The names of the companies have not been released, but the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi, has called on the Minister of Ports to revoke their licenses.

    The commerce minister also threatened to sanction businesses that pay extortion money to al-Shabab.

    Last week, the Ministry of Justice and the Constitution issued the same warning for Mogadishu notaries who deal with al Shabab. The ministry stated that security agencies had received complaints from the public alleging that notaries were passing their information to al-Shabab.

    It also noted that anyone found to be aiding terrorists is subject to the punishment specified in the Somali Penal Code (XCS) and other laws.

    President Hassan Mohamud has said he wants to use a new strategy against al-Shabab, to fight them economically and militarily, not just to weaken al-Shabab but eliminate the group.
     

     





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