Somali-Americans joining Al-Shabaab on the increase

By DNK Correspondent in Mogadishu.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Prime Minister Abdiweli Ali of Somalia in New York. Photo: UN.

The number of Somalis born or brought up in the United States joining the Al- Shabaab group is on the increase for the last few months, reports say.  Abdirizak Ali Bihi, director of the Somali Education and Social Advocacy Center has told Bar-kulan the number of Somali-American youth joining the outlawed group has tremendously increased with reports of a number of them traveling to Somali in 2010 to fight alongside the Al -Shabaab group.

Bihi says over 40 American citizens of Somali descent have joined ranks with militant group since 2009, with the last one being 21 year old Omar Farah. According to Bihi, Farah left Minneapolis several weeks ago and called his aunt after his departure to say he was in the Somali town of Merca with Al -Shabaab militant group.

Farah joined the University of Minnesota to study electrical engineering and has been in the campus for only a year before disappearing. Since 2008, several Somalis from Minneapolis have reportedly travelled to Somalia to join the al Shabaab group, which has ties to al Qaeda and is considered a terror group by the U.S.

In another news a ship carrying 13, 500 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid from Iraqi government has this week docked at the Port of Mogadishu as part of the Iraqi effort to support needy people in Somalia. The captain of the Ship, Mr. Khasim was quoted as saying that the aid which was donated by the government and the people of Iraq is meant to support thousands of needy families in Somalia who have been hit by the recent human tragedy in the country.

Mr. Khasim officially handed over the consignment to the Somali Minister for Agriculture and Livestock management Hussein Mohamud Sheikh to deliver to the intended people. 

The captain said the government and the people of Iraq are committed in supporting the government and the people of Somalia as they continue to emerge from the ashes of the more than two-decades old conflict. The Iraqi aid comes a time people in Somalia are recovering from the recently ended drought and famine in the country.