Dahabshiil offices closed for skipping payment to al-Shabaab

Somali news outlets reported on July 12 that several Dahabshiil offices in southern Somalia were ordered to close after the money transfer company failed to make required “sako” [zakat] payments to the al-Shabaab terrorist organization.

According to Radio Kulmiye, Middle and Lower Juba offices in Bu’aale, Saakoow, Salagle, and Jilib have been ordered to close. The same development was also reported by Shiniile News, and the website Dayniile says that “feet dragging” by Dahabshiil on making the payments is what prompted the closures.

Over the past couple decades in countries such as Colombia, Spain, and the Philippines, terrorist groups have frequently extorted money from businesses in exchange for allowing those companies to remain in business.  Marxist groups refer to this extortion as “revolutionary taxation” while jihadist groups call it zakat or jizya depending on the religion of the targeted businesses.