Shadows on the Shabelle: Rural communities plunged into the grip of oppressive militia

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Shadows on the Shabelle: Rural communities plunged into the grip of oppressive militia

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – Along the dusty expanse between Mogadishu and the serene Masajid Ali Guduud in Middle Shabelle, a once-tranquil journey has transformed into a nightmare.

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Armed men seen at a roadblock erected outside Masajid Ali Guduud in Middle Shabelle region.

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – Along the dusty expanse between Mogadishu and the serene Masajid Ali Guduud in Middle Shabelle, a once-tranquil journey has transformed into a nightmare.

Armed militia men have laid claim to the villages, erecting ominous roadblocks to extort money from helpless motorists. Those daring to question the ruthless enforcers face not just demands but brutal beatings.

Yet, this is not the sole horror haunting this rural region.

This week, the road’s desolation bore witness to a chilling series of crimes against women. Heavily armed clan militias, scouring vehicles, abducted female passengers by force, leaving a trail of terror in their wake.

Hussein, a passenger on this treacherous route, revealed, "From Mogadishu to Masajid Ali Guduud, we passed through ten roadblocks. All manned by clan militia demanding extortion money from civilian motorists.”

Somali forces and clan militia jointly confronted Al-Shabaab in Masajid Ali Guduud. However, with the withdrawal of government forces, the militia swiftly assumed control, subjecting the residents to violence and extortion.

Masajid Ali Guduud, a mere 113 kilometers from Jowhar, the regional capital, has become a focal point of lawlessness. Truck drivers, essential lifelines to central Somalia, shared harrowing tales of militia seizing their belongings, even after complying with extortion demands.

"In every roadblock, we pay, but some armed men stopped us in the middle of the night, taking all our cash and mobile phones. They beat us,” recounted Mohamed Nur, a truck driver, stranded in Guriceel town without a penny for sustenance.

The vacuum left by Al-Shabaab’s expulsion from this rural village last year has not been filled by the promised security from the government. Instead, powerful militia kingpins have assumed control, eclipsing the purported protection.

Residents and motorists lament that the proceeds from these roadblock extortions are shared among militia, army commanders, and politicians within the Hirshabelle administration, eroding hope for accountability.

The marauding armed militia shows no mercy even to the local inhabitants, as they traverse rural villages, pilfering from the residents and subjecting women to heinous acts of sexual violence.

"We are now in hell. If this is not intervened, locals will be forced to wield weapons and fight for their freedom because the militia is worse than Al-Shabaab,” declared elder Abdirahman Geesey, his voice echoing the desperation of a community under siege.

The influx of weapons and militias has spurred residents in other areas, like Nuur Nirgood, and some villages in the Hiiraan province, to form their own militias for protection. The residents of Masajid Ali Guduud and neighboring villages are contemplating a similar strategy.

"Weapons are now cheaper. Thank God. Let everyone have a gun and defend themselves; otherwise, we will not endure this suffering,” Geesey asserted, adding, "Who can watch his daughter or wife being dragged during the night and ravaged by criminals?”