By Cyrus Ombati
Nairobi, Kenya: A former Somalia Prime Minister wants authorities to seal loopholes through which Al Shabaab raises funds to support its terror activities
This, according to Mr Mohammed Abdullahi Farmaajo, is a key strategy to fight terrorism that is causing atrocities in both Kenya and Somalia.
Speaking in Nairobi on Sunday, Farmaajo said if proper and effective strategies are used, Al Shabaab can easily be defeated. “But key among the strategies to be applied is denying them avenues through which they raise revenue and support from local residents in the areas they control,” he said.
Al Shabaab is known to raise billions of shillings through export of charcoal and collecting of revenue from local residents in the areas they control.
He made the remarks after a Kenyan was jailed for 15 years in the US for conspiring to provide money and recruits to three terrorist organisations.
According to a statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Mohamed Hussain Said aged 27, pleaded guilty to the charge.
Mr Said admitted that he conspired to support the Al-Shabaab in Somalia, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and AQI/al-Nusrah Front terror group based in Syria.
The terror suspect is said to have received a series of wire transfers amounting to Sh1.2 million ($11,600) from a co-conspirator Gufran Ahmed Mohammed.
Farmaajo called for cooperation from concerned parties to contain the terror menace. “Insurgency cannot survive if you have the support of the people and this is the focus the government in Mogadishu needs to take,” he added.
Mr Farmaajo asked the Somali government to work closely with their Kenyan counterparts if efforts to defeat Al Shabaab are to succeed.
Kenya has experienced a series terror attacks from the terrorist group that has been uprooted from Mogadishu and controls most parts of southern Somalia although they still control several regions in the vast country.
Recent terror attacks in Kenya that Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for include the Westgate Mall attack and the Garissa University attack.
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is part of Amisom forces that include Burundi, Uganda, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone and they are in charge of Sector 2, which has its headquarters in the port city of Kismayu which comprises Lower and Middle Juba.
Mr Farmaajo said Kenya is playing a key role in helping Somalia regain control of regions under Al Shabaab and the Somalia government should work with it on different strategies that are required to defeat the terror group.
“The government in Mogadishu should build confidence with their Kenyan counterparts and cooperate on key counter-terrorism measures,” he added. He said come next year’s General Election in Somalia, he will offer his candidacy for the presidency.
“If elected this are some of the strategies I am going to apply in order to ensure the remaining regions under Al Shabaab are back under the government control,” said.
Mr Farmaajo said the government should also ensure soldiers’ welfare including paying their salaries on time is well maintained.
The Kenyan troops entered Somalia in October 2011 and were later formally integrated into Amisom in February 2012 after the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2036. Currently, there are 3664 troops from Kenya.
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