Somalilanders.com - It has been known that Al-Shabab receives 52 Million dollars annually from Mogadishu. It gets from commercial companies, and public as taxes (zakawat)

Hawala (money Transfer) companies group A pay 1.8 million annually, which means they pay $150,000 monthly.

Hawala (money Transfer) companies group B pay $600,000 annually, which means &50,000 monthly.

Hawala (money Transfer) companies group C pay $240,000 annually, which means $20,000 monthly.

Telecommunication companies used to pay Al Shabab 1% of their profit every year, but some dealt with them last year to pay them 1.2 million, which means $100,000 monthly.

General trading companies, hotels, and other businesses pay taxes to Al Shabab without their presence in Mogadishu.

Companies and businessmen who pay Al-Shabab consist of those who admire them, those who share with their ideology and philosophy and use them as hitmen, and those who fear them.

Businessmen who pay Al Shabab are powerful to the extent that they can meet with top Somali and international community officials.

Those who pay Zakawat are allowed themselves and their employees to move fearlessly without escort.

Ironic stories that Waagacusub reporters came to know in that some civil servants and MPs pay Al Shabab 5% of their salary.

Why civil servants and MPs pay them?

Those civil servants and MPs who don’t have sufficient security escort area forced to make their own arrangements with them.  Arrangement consists of payment of 5% of their salary and providing government information.

Al-Shabab have got their own companies in Mogadishu and regions.  They make a lot of money in buying and selling land plots, and construction buildings in Mogadishu.

Everyone who is doing construction is to pay mandatory of 2% of the cost of the building.  There is also a court run by Al Shabab in Lower Shabelle  People go there to seek for justice.

Al-Shabab calls the defendant to defends case. Whether he is present or not, they reach verdict.  Failure to do abide their court decision is death.

Al Shabab have immense power inside Somalia.  When we asked businessmen who collect money for Al Shabab why they don’t report to the government, they told us that many of the government officials work for them such as head of intelligence Zakaria Hersi who was former head of Amniyat Al-Shabab, and therefore they cannot trust them.

During our investigation, we’ve learned that three deputy ministers, two ministers of state, 61 MPs, and 7 commanders and intelligence officials work with Al-Shabab, who also receive every month what is called ‘bonus’ from the terrorists as insiders.

By Dahir Alasow

Investigative Journalist