Al-Shabaab militants have been blocking commercial goods, including food and fuel, from reaching the southwestern town of Baidoa for six days. The move is reportedly related to the detention of individuals who reportedly traveled from Baidoa to al-Shabaab areas.
Authorities in Southwest Somalia have vowed to prosecute anyone who takes orders from al-Shabaab. “We will not allow al-Shabaab to disrupt the flow of essential goods to Baidoa,” said a regional official. “We will prosecute anyone who is found to be cooperating with al-Shabaab.”
The blockade has caused a shortage of food and fuel in Baidoa, and prices have skyrocketed. Residents are struggling to get by, and some have been forced to leave the town.
Hussein Sheikh Mohamud, Chief of Staff of the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, said in a statement: “I share the pain with the people of Baidoa City and the entire Somali citizens who are subject to the brutal blockade of Al-Shabab. Ostensibly, the group is in an all-out war against the great people of Somalia and this is a testament that the FGS-led efforts are pushing the group to extinction.”
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