AFRICA/SOMALIA - "Clan rivalries and economic reasons facilitate the settling of the Islamic State", says Mgr. Bertin

Monday, 29 May 2017 armed groups  

Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides) - "From what I have been told, members of the Islamic State pay better and therefore in the situation of Somalia's crisis it is easy to find followers" says to Agenzia Fides His Exc. Mgr. Giorgio Bertin Bishop of Djibouti and Apostolic Administrator of Mogadishu, commenting on the first suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State in Somalia, committed on May 24 in Bosaso, which resulted in at least five deaths.
"One must bear in mind that among the Shabaab there are internal diatribes that also have to do with issues concerning clans. I would not be surprised that some Shabaab join the Islamic State, either because he does not agree with the line of leadership, or for clan rivalry and for economic attractiveness", says Mgr. Bertin.
"The presence of the Islamic State in Somalia has been around for almost a year now, generally in the Puntland area, where Bosaso is located", adds the Bishop.
Puntland, a semi-autonomous area, has a large coastal strip where Somalia's piracy activities were concentrated until just a few years ago. "In an area like this, open to trades of different nature, it was probably easy for the Islamic State to settle", says Mgr. Bertin. In recent months there has been a resumption of Somali piracy. "It may be that there is some relationship between the settling of the Islamic State in Puntland and the resumption of raids on behalf of Somali pirates", the Bishop comments. "One also has to take into consideration that the drought that has been hitting the Horn of Africa may have induced some to resume piracy", concludes Mgr. Bertin. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 29/5/2017)


Share: