Pushed by military, Al-Shabaab now targets farmers in Somalia

BAIDOA, Somalia - In what seems to be a change of strategy, Al-Shabaab militants are now targeting peasant farmers in Somalia, forcing hundreds of them to IDP camps, where they are entirely dependent on humanitarian aid.

While visiting Baidoa, the regional administrative capital of Southwest, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the strategy has left thousands of people homeless, further stressing the country on matters of food distribution.

Farmers who are not giving taxes to the militants, the president said, are forced to abandon their fields, seeking refuge in various IDP camps in the country. The Lower Jubba and Lower Shabelle regions are the worst affected.

Accompanying the president was Southwest leader Abdiaziz Lafta-Gareen, who was closely working with the former administration of Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who was accused of mismanaging the country including the Al-Shabaab crisis.

Hassan Sheikh was filmed entering an IDP camp, where he held children affected by the crisis. Women and children are the most affected in the conflict, authorities said during the maiden visit.

"People with dignity, honor, free and proud of their environment, have been forced to rely on humanitarian aid for fear of endangering themselves and their children," he said during his tour inside the camps in Baidoa, the interim capital of Southwest regional state.

For Somalia to enjoy peace and stability, Hassan Sheikh noted, the country must rise and jointly fight the militants. The militants control large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia, but efforts to degrade them seem to be on the top gear.

Humanitarian teams from the United Nations were also part of the presidential visit, in what seemed to be a move to evaluate the effects of the drought, which has also significantly affected farmers in the Horn of Africa nation.

Abdelmoula spoke at the 'ADC' camp for internally displaced people in the Baidoa district of Somalia's South West State. He was accompanying Somalia's Special Envoy for Drought Response, Abdirahman Abdishakur, who was appointed by the Somali president in late May, on his visit to an IDP camp.

"The situation is extremely dire and grim: 7.1 million people will be affected by this drought situation before the end of this year," said the Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula.

"Unfortunately, about 1.4 million children are facing acute malnutrition this year, and 330,000 are likely to become severely malnourished," he added.

Al-Shabaab militants wage small to large-scale sporadic attacks, mainly targeting security forces, innocent civilians, and top government officials. Farmers are major targets in paying taxes to the militants, which help the group sustain its operations.

The US has approved the deployment of close to 500 soldiers who will help the country completely defeat Al-Shabaab militants. The soldiers are expected to report to the country in the coming weeks according to Pentagon officials.

Elsewhere, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud rebuffed claims that Villa Somalia is plotting to kick out Southwest President Abdiaziz Lafta-Gareen. This comes after reports that politicians barred from the race for Lower House seats by Lafta Garen were organizing motions against him.

Lafta-Gareen is a close ally of former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who was defeated by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud a fortnight ago. Farmajo is blamed for the current tribulations the country is going through.

GAROWE ONLINE