Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has threatened to impose sanctions on individuals cooperating with Al-Shabab.
The PM made the comments during an interview with Al-Arabia TV in Addis Ababa.
Prime Minister Hamza stated that his government had made significant strides in the current fight in the central regions, where the government and local militia have liberated dozens of villages previously held by al-Shabab.
The statement from Prime Minister comes a day after the US Department of the Treasury sanctioned a network of over a dozen Al Shabaab financial facilitators who act as the organization’s top negotiators in regional business dealings in Somalia.
Earlier this week, the Somali Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a strong warning for entrepreneurs and notaries in Mogadishu who deal with the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab group.
The commerce ministry added that the people in business or companies found or notaries affiliated with al-Shabab will have their licenses revoked, in addition to being prosecuted.
This decision is part of the government’s measures to cripple al-Shabab’s sophisticated financial network, which is reported to bring in over $100 million annually.
Somali government forces backed by local militia have liberated over 40 villages and killed over 500 al-Shabab militants in the latest offensive against al-Shabab in central Somalia.
