Illegal checkpoints undermining security and developing in Somalia

BAIDOA, Somalia - The checkpoints erected in various parts of the country undermine the development and unity of Somalia, senior officials from the Southwest regional state said, noting there is a need to regulate them.

Through the Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs, Southwest State says there is an urgent need to dismantle illegal checkpoints, some of which are used by the Al-Shabaab militants, who are predominantly stationed within southern regions.

In a press statement, the ministry said several checkpoints were being misused for extortion of money targeting people and transporters within the country, especially along critical roads that connect states and other strategic towns.

The checkpoints have increased the region's insecurity, economic stagnation, social isolation, and widespread suspicion, the statement further read, while warning of possible economic implications.

Further, the Ministry, however, acknowledged the ongoing dismantling of the checkpoints, a collective initiative by the regional state and the federal government of Somalia. The checkpoints had initially been condemned by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

"We assert the necessity of fighting against and eliminating those who violate and oppose peace, causing suffering to the poor people traveling on the roads of the Southwest Government of Somalia," the statement read.

In Lower Shabelle, officers from the Southwest forces have managed to restore order by removing various roadblocks that are misused by rogue revenue collectors and the al-Shabaab militants. Some blocks are established by clan militia.

Hassan Abd Qadir Mohamed, the regional security minister, told local media that the administration had first attempted to negotiate with the militia responsible for the roadblocks, but their refusal to cooperate led to the confrontation.

GAROWE ONLINE