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Somalis warned against paying al Shabaab taxes or face sanctions

Somalis warned against paying al Shabaab taxes or face sanctions

Somalia

The Somali government has for the first time warned businesses from paying taxes to al Shabaab after recent reports of the practice.

Somalia’s security minister Mohamed Abukar Dualle and the various security chiefs addressed the press on Saturday threatening, among others, to seize businesses who will pay any money to the insurgent group.

“We will hold accountable and confiscate every business center, large or small that pays tax to al Shabaab. The government will not tolerate funding the group,” the minister said.

He also ordered telecommunications companies to end any services provided to al Shabaab as well as all businesses that manage the finances of the group.

Court actions will be initiated against those who fail to comply with these orders, the security chiefs warned.

These orders follow reports last week that the Islamist group had banned the Somali Shilling in the central and southern regions under its control over alleged influx of fake notes.

Business in the central Somalia’s region of Hiiraan stalled following the ban of the 1000 Shilling banknote which is the only Somali currency in circulation.

According to a report by Somalia’s Dalsan Radio in Mogadishu, traders in Galmudug were using the Ethiopian currency in respect of the instructions.

The Puntland authorities responded to the allegations and ban in a statement saying the militant group wants to “devalue the Somali shilling and empowering the foreign currency”.

Al Shabaab has been able to carry out deadly bombings despite losing most of its territory to African Union peacekeepers supporting the Somali government.

The group’s insurgency aims to drive out the peacekeepers, topple Somalia’s western-backed government and impose its strict version of Islam on the Horn of Africa state.

Photo Credit: shabellenews.com

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