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| Last Updated: Apr 3, 2012 - 2:47:55 AM |
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Somalia: Head of telecommunication company's assets frozen by UN Security council
21 Feb 21, 2012 - 7:00:47 AM
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MOGADISHU, Somalia Feb 21 2012 (Garowe Online) - The head of one of the largest telecommunication companies in Somalia is accused of being a Al Shabaab financier according to the UN Security Council, Garowe Online.
Ali Ahmed Nur (Jim’ale) according to the statement released on Friday by the Security Council’s department of public information, held leadership roles with the ‘radical-Islamist element’, the Somali Islamic Courts Union. Jim’ale was added to the list of people and entities subject to travel ban, assets freeze and targeted arms embargo by the UN Security Council. Jim’ale according to the UN Security Council Committee on Somalia and Eretria is one of Al Shabaab’s ‘chief financiers’. Jim’ale is accused of facilitating large lump sum payments to the Al Shabaab including owning a hawala fund where he collected Zakat and distributed to the terrorist organization.
The statement also says Mr. Jim’ale established the service of Zaad which allows users’ mobile to mobile money transactions, the reason being that Jim’ale helped facilitate Al Shabaab easy money transfers without the need of identification. Jim’ale is one of the biggest stakeholders in the telecommunications company Hormuud and according to this report Hormuud is one of the single largest financiers of Al Shabaab and provides logistical support, weapons, fighters and ammunition.
Two months after the September 11 2001 attack Jim’ale was listed as being associated with Al Qaeda. Jim’ale who had majority stake in the then former Barakaat telecommunications company was accused of financing Al Qaeda and having close ties with Osama bin Laden. Barakaat was subsequently shut down and their assets frozen by the US which led to tens of thousands Somalis to lose access to their funds.
The UN Security Council has imposed embargos on Eritrea and Somalia and has expanded its embargos on Eritrea recently, in order to prevent support to armed groups destabilizing Somalia. Transitional Federal Government President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed recently asked the UN Security Council to lift an arms embargo to fight Al Shabaab in southern Somalia. The ban which was imposed in 1992 has not stopped militants in Somalia from importing arms.
GAROWE ONLINE
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