Ex-Governor's Call to Punish Civilians in Al-Shabaab Areas Sparks Outrage in Somalia

BELEDWEYNE, Somalia - A debate on appropriate actions against civilians living in Al-Shabaab strongholds has triggered sharp debate in Somalia, with a former governor suggesting that they should pay the price for 'abetting' terrorism in the Horn of Africa nation.

Jayte Ali Osman, the former governor of Hiiraan, says it is time for civilians living in Al-Shabaab-controlled areas to take responsibility, suggesting that they are part of the group that is responsible for terrorizing innocent civilians in the country.

According to him, the civilians are complicit and actions should be taken against them for failing to assist the government in tackling violent extremism. He made the remarks in the company of senior military officials within the Hiiraan region.

“May Allah punish anyone who spares them,” Jayte added, referring to civilians in these areas. His inflammatory statement appears to legitimize the indiscriminate killing of innocent people, fueling concerns over the potential escalation of violence against the civilian population.

Jayte is known for his tough stance against al-Shabaab before his ouster and played a role in person during the al-Shabaab crackdown within central regions. He fell out with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who engineered his removal.

However, security analysts believe that such a strategy would lead to the collapse of the government system in the fight against Al-Shabaab, adding that implicating civilians would only complicate the already worse situation across Somalia.

"Now, is the Somali government prepared to commit war crimes against its civilians and then find out that it has achieved nothing? Somalia is a polarized country divided along clan lines. Most citizens do not trust the government or any authorities due to the prolonged absence of a government and past bad experiences with the former central government," says Haybe Ali, a political and security analyst.

"We are obligated to warn the government to stop using these counterproductive tactics and ensure that the deprived and confined civilians are not harmed. Any activities of forced evictions would be interpreted as tactics to take over the lands for exclusive economic exploitation by groups within the government."

In advanced countries, civilians are usually evacuated from volatile areas before operations are initiated. Under these circumstances, the military first protects civilians before engaging those said to have violated the law or, caused chaos and misunderstanding.

GAROWE ONLINE