MOGADISHU, Somalia – In areas of Middle Shabelle recently reoccupied by Al-Shabaab, residents say the group has returned with even harsher practices than before, breaking earlier promises to govern differently.
When Al-Shabaab first came back into these regions, including Ceelbaraf, Miirtaqwo, Al-Kowsar, and surrounding villages, they claimed they had changed. They assured locals there would be no more repression and that they would act more like a formal government. But it didn’t take long for that promise to break.
The group has now cut off communication networks in these areas and imposed strict new rules. Today, they called for a meeting with elders from Miirtaqwo and Ceelbaraf, demanding that they bring forward young men to fight alongside them and others to act as go-betweens between the community and the group, under the title of “peace elders.”
The residents are also facing financial burdens. Farmers using tractors are now required to pay $50 per month—a new tax just as the rainy season begins and planting ramps up. In livestock markets, the group takes $10 for every goat brought in, even if the animal doesn’t sell.
Locals say these measures mark a return to the same old tactics—perhaps worse than before. One of the most damaging moves has been the shutdown of mobile networks, which has made daily life even more difficult. With mobile money (like EVC) being the main way people buy and sell goods, this blackout has severely disrupted the local economy.
Residents who spoke to Caasimada Online have issued a desperate plea to the Somali government, urging them to take swift action and liberate their communities from Al-Shabaab’s renewed grip.
HORN LIFE