Kenya Declare War on Smugglers Financing Somali’s Al Shabaab Militants

The flow of money to Somali’s Al Shabaab militants has been largely attributed to smuggled sugar by Kenyan boss cartels and middle men in Dadaab camp and along the Kenya-Somalia route.

Intelligence sources indicate that the billions of sums raised from smuggled sugar is then used by Al Shabaab militants to purchase riffles, acquire transport and lure loyalists into joining the militia group.

Sugar smuggling practice has largely contributed to the increase in the number of militants who have been attacking East Africa countries.

Cross-border illegal sugar trade

Kenya government has vowed to crack a whip on individuals involved in the illegal sugar smuggling along the southern Somali port of Kismayu to Kenya’s frontier.

A special unit in the National Intelligence Service (NIS) has been assigned to dismantle smuggling cartels working with Al Shabaab in this menace.

Kenyan police has also launched an operation in the vast Dadaab refugee camps to arrest identified cartels and dismantle the decades-old sugar smuggling trade that is funding Somali based jihadist group.

War on Smugglers – Outcome;

 Kenya’s move to tackle the cross-border illegal trade will further cut the Mujahideen’s financial lifeline.

Launching military offensive against al Shabaab in Somalia by African Union peacekeepers and Somali soldiers will soon bear fruits once the militants luck funds to aid their terror activities.

Mopping out Al Shabaab sympathizers in the sugar-smuggling menace, cartel bosses and the middle men will lead to loss of billions of funding for the terrorists.

Using Anti-terrorist Tracking System, the Kenya Police and the National Intelligence Service are following closely people and cartels linked to Al Shabaab terrorist involved in the sugar smuggling trade.