...... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...gunnies continued to wreak havoc in the country through the latest tactic of abducting locals after losing strategic towns in the country following clan mobilization which has successfully made them flee from most parts of the Horn of Africa nation.
On Monday, the gunnies reportedly kidnapped dozens of people in Beerhana and Dhoqor villages about 30 kilometers south of Beledweyne town within the Hiiraan region. This was the second time the gunnies were abducting innocent civilians within a week in Somalia.
Locals said the gunnies kidnapped about 20 farmers from Hawadale clan and crossed with them over River Shabelle. The gunnies have been targeting farmers who are important in food production within the country which is struggling with drought and possible famine.
Last week, reports indicate, the gunnies kidnapped nine people in Halgan District after ambushing them in the vehicle in which they were traveling in. They crossed over with the people in Shabelle River to Western Hiiraan where they are in full control.
Although the motive behind the latest strategy is not known, the gunnies have been revenging against Macawisley militia who have been mobilizing against their dominance. The clan militia together with the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
Transition Mission in Somalia and US Africa Command have managed to liberate several towns.
In most cases, the al-Shabaab uses those kidnapped for extortion purposes as they look for money to fund their illegal activities in the country. The families of abductees are forced to pay some fee in the exchange for freedom and the practice has been going on for quite some time.
Al-Shabaab controls large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia but has lost key areas in the last four months following the operation to flush them by security forces.