Mogadishu January 28, 2023 (SD) -The General Spokesman of Al-Shabaab, Sheik Cali Mohamud Raage (Cali Dheere), strongly condemned the Financial Sanctions Act, which was recently approved by the Somali Parliament, calling it a plan to steal the property of the Somali people.

He stated that the act, which is being carried out by the Somali government under the guidance of the United States, aims to target commercial companies and legitimize the theft of the property of the people.

He also accused the United States of having blocked the property of the Somali people for 20 years and now planning to do so again.

He issued a strong warning to Somali banks not to share customer data with what he called the enemy of Islam. The Somali government recently announced that it had blocked more than 250 accounts that Al-Shabaab had in the country’s banks, which were used to transfer millions of dollars to the group.

Analysts of Al-Shabaab affairs see the statement by Cali Dheere as reflecting the impact of the financial restrictions imposed by the government on the group and its desire for millions of dollars that have been blocked.