Somalia’s al-Shabaab Islamist militant movement is in the midst of a financial crisis that hit after losing protection fees from three Somalia World Food Program (WFP) sub-contractors and diminished contributions from the Somali diaspora. The radical group has been in a financial squeeze since the beginning of the year after the WFP suspended their work in the area controlled by al-Shabaab because of insecurity (BBC, March 10; Reuters, March 11).
The United Nations Monitoring Group report released in March indicated that the group received millions of dollars from three Somali transportation contractors involved in the diversion of WFP food aid as protection money for the food convoys. The Monitoring Group named the three Somali contractors as Abukar Omar Adani, Somali-American Abdulqadir Muhammad Nuur “Enow” and Muhammad Deylaf. The contractors, who have diverse business interests in Kenya, denied allegations of funding the Islamist movement, saying that the delivery of food in southern Somalia may require “doing business” with al-Shabaab (Somaliweyn, April 2; Wall Street Journal, September 16, 2009).
Not only the WFP operation suspension but the suicide bombings that killed more than 74 people in Kampala on July 11 have led to further financial constraints for al-Shabaab as contributions from Somalis in the diaspora have dried up.
A Somali-born Canadian who used to manage al-Shabaab fund-raising in the North American Somali community explained to Jamestown that after the attacks in Kampala, Somalis considered al-Shabaab as not serving the interests of the country or people of Somalia. According to the former fund raiser, diaspora communities supported al-Shabaab for the sake of God and country but they were all disappointed by the Kampala attack, which he says brought about threats to Somali refugees living in Uganda and neighboring countries. Most al-Shabaab financiers in North America have isolated the group, although some are still sending money. The informant, who was in Nairobi at the time of the interview, declined to state the amount of money which he sent to Somalia to fuel al-Shabaab operations in the country...more.. http://terror freesomalia.blogspot.com/2 ... ts-to.html