It is not secret that Al-shabaab telephones litigants to adjudicate property disputes in Mogadishu. Al-shabaab used edicts to return many properties in Mogadishu to rightful owners between 2009 and 2011, when it controlled a two-third of the capital city. The proscribed group lost ground to the Somali government forces and AMISOM but the perceived reliability of its judges to deal with property disputes swiftly has not waned.
A compliant goes to an Al-shabaab base to open a property dispute case file. Al-shabaab courts telephone or text the litigant in question.
The Banadir regional court administration improved its operations despite backlog of cases dating back to 2013. Recently General Yusuf M. Siad (Indha’adde), the former Defence Chief of the Union of Islamic Courts, seemed to have lent credence to Al-shabaab justice system when he had argued that he preferred an Al-shabaab court to the Federal Government courts “if Al-shabaab will spare my life“. General Indha’adde has questioned the court’s process to start a property dispute case against him. He has a sound reason to avoid approaching Al-shabaab court system.
Al-shabaab was behind the assassination of two of his associates — General Goobaale and Yusuf Mire Seraar in Mogadishu and Dhuusamareeb respectively. Al-shabaab is believed to levy tax on many businesses in Mogadishu. The Chairman of the Somali Chamber of Commence, Abdi Abshir Dhoreh, told the VOA Somali Service that “there is evidence about Al-shabaab tax levies upon imports at Mogadishu Port”. The Federal Ministry of Finance has not commented on Dhoreh’s claim.
© 2020 Puntland Post Monthly
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