Somalia Vows to Combat Terrorism Financing

MOGADISHU, Xinhua: Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud vowed to dismantle terrorism financing when chairing an emergency meeting on Wednesday to seek ways of tackling the issue.

Mohamud, joined by cabinet ministers and heads of security agencies, warned that anyone involved in financing terrorist activities in Somalia would face severe consequences.

“Anyone who participates in any action to support the funding of the terrorists will face severe consequences,” the president said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, after the meeting.

Mohamud urged Somali citizens and businessmen to remain vigilant against the al-Shabab extremist group which has engaged government forces and African Union peacekeepers in near-daily attacks across the country.

The president, who has declared an all-out war against al-Shabab fighters, warned that anyone found involved in funding the terrorists would face the full force of the law.

He reiterated that his government is committed to eliminating the threat of terrorism to ensure the country’s security and stability.

The president ordered the security agencies to take immediate measures that will lead to the arrest of those financing al-Shabab activities in the country.

He said the government is intensifying efforts toward eliminating the threat caused by terrorism to enhance peace and security in the country.

Security experts say the government has gained ground in its war against the al-Shabab extremist group, mainly in central Somalia, with most of the progress made due to Mogadishu’s leveraging of local discontent with the al-Shabab to form alliances with clan militias.

The government forces have since taken control of major towns in central and southern Somalia as a result of the all-out war against the al-Shabab initiated by the president.