SOMALIA: Al-Shabab closes business in Bakaro market

By: Malyun Ali

The Bakaro market.

MOGADISHU (RBC) The Al-Shabab rebels in Somalia today ordered to close Mogadishu’s main business centre of Bakaro after great dispute emerged between Al-Shabab officials and the traders of the market.
Eyewitness in the busy market of Bakaro told RBC Radio that Al Shabab commander named Sheikh Hassan Mo’alim with heavily armed fighters stormed the marketplace on Wednesday noon and ordered the traders to pay $500 each business place but the business men complained not to afford to pay such large amount of money.
“The business men told that only a week ago they paid a money named ‘support’ to other Al-Shabab officials but they rejected and the commander then ordered to close all the business”, a trader not willing to name because of security matters told RBC Radio.
Fire bullets had been heard in the market and residents told that they have seen the fighters guarding the business places in order not to re-open.
The Bakaro market which is the biggest commercial centre in Somalia’s war ravaged capital, Mogadishu still remains under Al-Shabab’s control and there has been growing complaints from business men of Al-Shabab’s blundering acts against them.
In last month, Al-Shabab imposed teachers and civil workers in Jowhar, 90 KM south of Mogadishu to pay $10 each per month in which they called ‘supporting of Warriors’.
RBC Radio