Al-Shabaab Backed Clan Militia Exploited in the Economic Sabotage Operations.
Al-Shabaab Mujahideen Central hardly claims these mast attacks, signaling its not part of their core terrorist operations.
The Governor continues to make alarmist statements about terrorists whereas the alleged terrorists are elements of his clan militia.
Hormund Telecom, a Somali telecommunications company alongside Governor Ali Roba and his business associates are responsible for the continued destruction of Safaricom Ltd Telecommunications masts in Mandera County in North Eastern Kenya. The company is buying the expensive VHF Radio components retrieved from the destroyed Safaricom Telecommunications Towers. The company through Governor Roba associates and clan militia are mapping locations of towers with the particular equipment and subsequently destroying the cell tower. The company is engaging in economic sabotage and financing of terrorism. The company is being aided by local clan militia allied to the Governor.
The militia are armed and trained by Al-Shabaab Mujahideen terrorists. Specific training takes approximately 3 months and skills the militia in destruction of a mast without destroying specific portable RF equipment. The particular equipment is removed and delivered to Hormund Telecom agents. Hormund Telecom recalibrates the equipment to their specifications and use them. The company then sets up its cell tower masts in Gedo border region of Somalia. Its frequencies have a range of over 100 kilometers inside Kenya lately, in an attempt to fill the gap left by the destroyed Safaricom Cell Towers in Mandera. Hormund justifies the range citing demand by cross-border communities that use its services.
Al-Shabaab Backed Clan Militia & Governor Ali Roba Involvement
On Friday 15th January 2021, at 1700HRS EAT, Ethiopian Military at the Border intercepted Yusuf Mohamed Hussein Abdi, as he crossed to Suftu in Ethiopia through the banks of River Dawa outside Mandera Town. Hussein Abdi deserted the ENDF in 2008 and joined the Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen, 8 years ago. Upon debriefing by Kenyan intelligence and counter terrorism agents, Yusuf Hussein Abdi confessed they were trained by Hormund Telecom officials on how to destroy and retrieve specific high value RF Equipment. Abdi also indicted Governor Ali Roba in the clan militia problem in Mandera. Abdi and 3 others admitted the Governor keeps contact with Hassan Okolla and Hassan Ibrahim Sheikh Hassan both who are Al Shabaab operations commander based along the border with Kenya.
Intelligence also confirms that Governor Ali Roba’s business associate was denied a Telecommunications license by Kenya Authorities over links with the same terrorist operatives. Governor Roba and his associate wanted a license to operate a Cell Tower Leasing Telecom Company in Mandera. They wanted to lease masts to Safaricom Ltd and Hormund Telecom citing assured local security and continuous seamless and uninterrupted service. Governor Roba and his associate have since then outsourced the help of both Hassan Okolla and Ibrahim Sheikh Hassan of Al-Shabaab to facilitate destruction of the masts and on the other hand getting large payouts from Hormund Telecom for the equipment robbed from the USD500, 000 worth Safaricom Telecommunication Towers. These subversive operations are meant to create demand for a local privately owned Cell Tower Leasing Company while giving Hormund Telecom an edge.
The Governor once stage managed attack against his convoy in Lafey and claimed it was an Al-Shabaab attack. The Governor continues to use the false terrorism claim in Mandera in an attempt to discredit the Government of Kenya and its security operations in Jubbaland Federal State.
Kenya’s Communication Authority (CA), the Military (KDF), alongside the Intelligence Services should block Hormund Telecom frequencies inside Kenya and subsequently limit the range of their Cell Towers to 100 meters in the border. Telecom Companies in Kenya should be instructed to annul all contracts with Hormund Telecom and cease conducting any business with the company for engaging in subversion and financing terrorism.
