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| Africa Horn | |
| Criminals congregate in Mogadishu as they flee Alshabaab | |
| 2008-12-28 | |
The group now controls whole southern Somalia except Baidao and parts of Mogadishu. Security and peace returned every town they captured instantly. These masked men whose long-term agenda is anyone’s guess have at least won the hearts and minds of many victims of Somalia’s prolonged civil war. Just yesterday they whipped and deported two young men for raping a girl in Kismayo, Somalia’s third largest city. Both men received hundred lashes and were driven out of the city by force. They were told not to return for a year of face harsh punishment. A mother in Kismayo told SomaliNet she was first skeptical about these men but now, they have her full support. She said “What matters to us is peace and lack of fear and that’s they brought to us.” It is not only Kismayo, criminals are on the run in every corner of southern Somalia, even wealthy pirates are in retreat in central Somalia. For the first time in Somalia, Alshabaab told people who possess property looted during the civil war, including farms and other real estate to return to their owners and ask for forgiveness. They said if illegal occupiers fail to do what’s right or the rightful owners do not accept their apology, they will pay full rent for all the years they occupied or used the property illegally. While the criminals are on the run in areas affected by Alshabaab’s bold and swift judgment, Mogadishu is seeing sharp increase in violent crimes. Many wanted men are said to be hiding in the capital. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |