Tuesday, February 16, 2016

The Nexus between Somaliland and Al-Shabaab

Somaliland and Al-Shabaab UPDATE

Many accounts misapprehend the nature of the relationship between Somaliland and al-Shabaab. 
The relationship, in fact, goes far beyond contact and coexistence, with significant financial assistance by Somaliland’s Ministry of Interior and Intelligence Agency providing the bulk of al-Shabaab’s financing and weapons, according to sources and al-Shabaab captured leaders. Somaliland intelligence is directly funded by foreign intelligence agencies, according to reports.
 
 
Somaliland Minister of Interior Ali Waran-Ade and other senior political, military, and business leaders including former ministers Mohamed Bihi Yonis, Hirsi Ali Hassan, and Suleiman Esa Ahmed as well as Colonel Muse Bihi Abdi and Abdirashid Duale, the CEO of Dahabshiil have actively financed and supported al-Shabaab as part of a strategy to undermine political and security progress in Somalia and boost support for Somaliland recognition.
 
 
Somaliland uses western economic development and security funds to finance al-Shabaab operations in Somalia. Waran-Ade, a former senior intelligence officer for the Siyad Barre’s National Security Services (NSS) directed financing and provided material support to al-Shabaab operations.
 
Al-Shabaab has a strong support in Somaliland, according to captured senior al-Shabaab commander and the government orchestrates, sustains as well as strongly influences the movement operations in Somalia. Somaliland also gives sanctuary to the families of senior al-Shabaab and al-Qa’ida leaders, and provides support in terms of training, funding, munitions, and supplies for al-Shabaab. In their words, this is ‘as clear as the sun in the sky’.
 
 
Directly or indirectly Somaliland appears to exert significant influence on the strategic decision-making and field operations of al-Shabaab; and has greater away over operatives. According to recently defected al-Shabaab commander, Somaliland intelligence controls al-Shabaab’s counterintelligence units “Amniyat”, who are recruited from radical mosques in Hargeisa, Burco, Berbera Gabiley and Borama.
 
 
Former al-Shabaab operatives confirmed that the Somaliland Intelligence was represented on the al-Shabaab leadership council, known as the Shura, and the Security Council. Indeed, the agency appears to have circumscribed the al-Shabaab’s strategic autonomy.
 
 
Waran-Ade himself has apparently assured senior al-Shabaab leaders that they are ‘our people’ and have his backing. He has also apparently authorized al-Shabaab and al-Qa’ida fighters and supporters release from Somaliland prisons, including senior al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula operative who was captured in Berbera on his way to Lower Shebelle to meet with al-Shabaab Emir Ahmed Umar.
In 2012, Somaliland police detained and released al-Shabaab Emir Ahmed Godane, al-Shabaab external operation leader Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir (Ikrima) and operative Ismail Muse, reportedly now head of al-Shabaab Mogadishu operations, who is one of the highest ranking in the movement below al-Shabaab Emir Ahmed Umar. The group was in Burco to meet with al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula emissaries and Dahabshiil and other al-Shabaab financiers.
 
 
Somaliland’s involvement with al-Shabaab and al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula is having a major implication for the international community. The governments of Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti have all been alarmed by the Somaliland, al-Shabaab and al-Qa’ida nexus. Ethiopia and Djibouti have restricted borders with Somaliland.
 
 
Diplomatic outposts and international organizations have been instructed to relocate from Hargeisa to Mogadishu and limit contacts with senior Somaliland government officials.
 
 
Somaliland Strategy
 
 
Through providing sanctuary and support to al-Shabaab, Somaliland appears to be able to exert significant influence on al-Shabaab strategy. As a Somaliland political figure summarized: ‘Somaliland has some control “over the al-Shabaab”. They have influence in al-Shabaab’s decision-making. Sure, they have dominated the movement, but al-Shabaab has some independence. Likewise, a security analyst said: ‘al-Shabaab is obliged to accept Somaliland demands – it needs their support.’
The Somaliland-al-Shabaab relationship is founded on mutual benefits. Al-Shabaab and al-Qa’ida need external sanctuary, as well as military and logistical support to sustain their insurgency in Somalia and Yemen. As a former al-Shabaab operative put it: ‘Somaliland are helping al-Shabaab a lot, but they only give for their own gain. According to the conflict analyst: ‘there is not an equal relationship between Somaliland and al-Shabaab – Somaliland is far more powerful. Al-Shabaab doesn’t have any choice except to live in Somaliland; where else can they go?’
 
 
Somaliland Leadership Collusion with Foreign Terrorist Organization’s
Security experts are divided on the extent to which Somaliland policy towards al-Shabaab insurgents is determined independently of civilian officials. Somaliland officials were aware of Waran-Ade’s and Somaliland intelligence role in supporting al-Shabaab and were actively encouraging it.’
 
 
The Daallo Airlines terrorist incident in early February and the bombing of seafood restaurant in Mogadishu suggest that the policy is approved at the highest level of Somaliland government. Al-Shabaab senior operative Ismail Muse, who planned, coordinated and financed both Daallo Airline and Mogadishu seafood restaurant attacks made several trips to Hargeisa, Burco and Borama to meet with Dahabshiil and senior Somaliland intelligence officer code name “Dagaxbuur”.
 
 
According to western intelligence source Dahabshiil deposited $50,000.00 monthly to secret account at the banks main office in Mogadishu to support Ismail Muse. Dahabshiil also deposited $18,000.00 to the bank account of senior Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) who was recently implicated and arrested for the Daallo Airline attack.
 
 
Somaliland Intelligence Operations in Somalia
 
 
Al-Shabaab commanders believe Somaliland shapes their operations in Somalia in a powerful, surreptitious and coercive way. Somaliland intelligence is part of Amniyat operational command. Certainly, insurgent skills and capabilities at the operational and tactical level suggest the involvement of trained professional military personnel. As a former security official said: ‘they give them the plans, the strategy and new techniques. The chain goes back to Somaliland.
 
 
Al-Shabaab Sanctuary, Funding, Munitions and Supplies
 
 
Al-Shabaab has a number of sources of external support, and there is little doubt that Somaliland is increasing the arms, funding and training they provide to the insurgents. Somaliland involvement in the early stages of the insurgency has been widely acknowledged. Somaliland were operating training camps for al-Shabaab recruits, and facilitating the supply of funds, equipment and arms.
Dahabshiil the Terror Bank of Choice for al-Shabaab and al-Qa’ida
 
 
Dahabshiil financial support for al-Shabaab is diverse as confirmed by western intelligence officials. Dahabshiil collects al-Shabaab funds from charitable donations, applied to businessmen or farmers, especially traffickers; ransom from kidnappings; protection money from contractors or officials. Al-Shabaab funds are deposited to Dahabshiil in Hargeisa. A selected al-Shabaab financiers and facilitators have access to the funds and they manage the group’s funding, munitions and supplies.
As al-Shabaab military commander put it: ‘we receive salary, training, weapons, ammunition and expenses from Somaliland. … Everyone knows Somaliland gives money; it goes centrally, and then flows down. Another al-Shabaab commander said: ‘Of course, it’s a huge project, the insurgency needs huge funding, IEDs [improvised explosive devices], ammunition, training, needs everything, all of this has been given by Somaliland. We do not have facilities to produce any of this.
 
 
Outlook
 
 
Somaliland will continue its terrorist-related activities, including support for al-Shabaab and al-Qa’ida. Somaliland views al-Shabaab terrorism and insurgency as a crucial in its recognition strategy. The more Somalia suffers, the better chances for Somaliland becoming independent state. Somaliland has continued to generate significant concern regarding the role it plays in terrorist financing.
Dahabshiil continues to operate in vast black market and unregulated economy of Somalia. The hawala networks remained intertwined with terrorism financing, smuggling and transaction-based money laundering. This raises significant concerns that some members of the Somaliland government and the business elite were complicit in terrorist finance schemes.
 
 
The international community is working with the Somali Federal Government on sanctions to stop Somaliland support of foreign terrorist organization. The international community and the Somali government are also working on financial, military, and economic sanctions as well travel restriction and terrorist designation for Waran-Ade, Dagaxbuur, Dahabshiil and several other senior Somaliland officials, according to credible source.
 
 
Peter Wolfson & Greta Backstrom
Investigative Journalists
Nairobi, Kenya & Stockholm, Sweden
Source:kenyamedia.net

Secessionist Somaliland and Al Shabaab two faces of the Same Token (Al Shabaab Puzzle!)

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Ex-Somali Police Commissioner General Mohamed Abshir

Ex-Somali Police Commissioner  General Mohamed Abshir

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater
Somalia army parade 1979

Sultan Kenadid

Sultan Kenadid
Sultanate of Obbia

President of the United Meeting with Prime Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Egal of the Somali Republic,

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire
Sultanate of Warsengeli

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre
Siad Barre ( A somali Hero )

MoS Moments of Silence

MoS Moments of Silence
honor the fallen

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre  and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie
Beautiful handshake

May Allah bless him and give Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan

May Allah bless him and give  Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan
Honorable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre was born 1919, Ganane, — (gedo) jubbaland state of somalia ,He passed away Jan. 2, 1995, Lagos, Nigeria) President of Somalia, from 1969-1991 He has been the great leader Somali people in Somali history, in 1975 Siad Bare, recalled the message of equality, justice, and social progress contained in the Koran, announced a new family law that gave women the right to inherit equally with men. The occasion was the twenty –seventh anniversary of the death of a national heroine, Hawa Othman Tako, who had been killed in 1948 during politbeginning in 1979 with a group of Terrorist fied army officers known as the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF).Mr Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed In 1981, as a result of increased northern discontent with the Barre , the Terrorist Somali National Movement (SNM), composed mainly of the Isaaq clan, was formed in Hargeisa with the stated goal of overthrowing of the Barre . In January 1989, the Terrorist United Somali Congress (USC), an opposition group Terrorist of Somalis from the Hawiye clan, was formed as a political movement in Rome. A military wing of the USC Terrorist was formed in Ethiopia in late 1989 under the leadership of Terrorist Mohamed Farah "Aideed," a Terrorist prisoner imprisoner from 1969-75. Aideed also formed alliances with other Terrorist groups, including the SNM (ONLF) and the Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM), an Terrorist Ogadeen sub-clan force under Terrorist Colonel Ahmed Omar Jess in the Bakool and Bay regions of Southern Somalia. , 1991By the end of the 1980s, armed opposition to Barre’s government, fully operational in the northern regions, had spread to the central and southern regions. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes, claiming refugee status in neighboring Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. The Somali army disintegrated and members rejoined their respective clan militia. Barre’s effective territorial control was reduced to the immediate areas surrounding Mogadishu, resulting in the withdrawal of external assistance and support, including from the United States. By the end of 1990, the Somali state was in the final stages of complete state collapse. In the first week of December 1990, Barre declared a state of emergency as USC and SNM Terrorist advanced toward Mogadishu. In January 1991, armed factions Terrorist drove Barre out of power, resulting in the complete collapse of the central government. Barre later died in exile in Nigeria. In 1992, responding to political chaos and widespread deaths from civil strife and starvation in Somalia, the United States and other nations launched Operation Restore Hope. Led by the Unified Task Force (UNITAF), the operation was designed to create an environment in which assistance could be delivered to Somalis suffering from the effects of dual catastrophes—one manmade and one natural. UNITAF was followed by the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM). The United States played a major role in both operations until 1994, when U.S. forces withdrew. Warlordism, terrorism. PIRATES ,(TRIBILISM) Replaces the Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre administration .While the terrorist threat in Somalia is real, Somalia’s rich history and cultural traditions have helped to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for international terrorism. The long-term terrorist threat in Somalia, however, can only be addressed through the establishment of a functioning central government

The Honourable Ronald Reagan,

When our world changed forever

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)
Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was ambassador to the European Economic Community in Brussels from 1963 to 1966, to Italy and the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] in Rome from 1969 to 1973, and to the French Govern­ment in Paris from 1974 to 1979.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac 'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac  'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.
Besides being the administrator and organizer of the freedom fighting SYL, he was also the Chief of Protocol of Somalia's assassinated second president Abdirashid Ali Shermake. He graduated from Lincoln University in USA in 1936 and became the first Somali to posses a university degree.

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic
Somalia

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