Somalia: Al-Shabaab publicly executes suspected 'spies'

JANALE, Somalia - The al-Qaeda-linked group in Somalia; Al-Shabaab, has resolved to punish civilians suspected of collaborating with the Somali National Army (SNA), following a series of setbacks in central and southern regions of the country for the last two years.

On Friday, the militants carried out the public execution of two men accused of collaborating with Somali forces in a village near Janale, approximately 90 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, witnesses said.

The killings took place in Busley Daoud, a locale firmly under Al-Shabab's influence, where Mohamed Abdulkhadir Ali, 21, and Mohamud Hassan Ali, 20, were shot dead, witnesses added, noting the notorious conduct of the group.

Abdulkhadir Ali was accused by Al-Shabab of aiding forces in Marka, in the Lower Shabelle region, and Hassan Ali was said to have assisted government troops in Aden Yabaal, Middle Shabelle, a district recently liberated by the Somalia military, residents said.

It is not the first time the Al-Shabab group has executed those accused of collaborating with 'enemies' and the common allegations would be — that they work with foreign soldiers or government troops in various parts of the country.

The al-Shabaab militants lost strategic towns across Somalia for the last two years after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared total war against them. The Somali National Army in collaboration with the US Africa Command and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have jointly made the gains.

Besides military operations, the government of Somalia has immensely invested in tracking illegal checkpoints and blocking the group’s sources of finances, including illegal taxation — not excluding revocation of business permits of traders supporting them and closing bank accounts and mobile money transfer firms associated with the group.

But even with the gains, squabbles among the elites in the country have tremendously affected the spirit — including trigging the group’s resurgence due to much focus on political feuds.

Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed voiced grave concerns about Somalia's situation during a press conference in Mogadishu on Saturday, suggesting that the country is at risk of not even being able to conduct an indirect election, let alone a democratic one.

Opposition leaders, including Ahmed, have questioned "whether there will even be a handover of power," highlighting the deepening crisis in governance as the nation struggles with ongoing security issues and political discord.

But earlier, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi accused opposition leaders of being swayed by foreign entities in response to claims that government officials have been auctioning off public land in Mogadishu.

Fiqi also issued a stern warning to those critiquing President Hassan Sheikh's administration, stating, "If they don't stop tarnishing the image of this country, we will take action." Analysts believe these internal rifts could significantly deal a blow to the war against al-Shabaab.

GAROWE ONLINE