Ramadan in Mogadishu: A fearful month ahead
The holy month of Ramadan has started across the world and for all Muslims it is a time of contemplation, sacrifice and character building. Ramadan is indeed a joyous month for all Muslims and its rewards are infinite in Islam.
The month of Ramadan is a usually a month of peace and quiet contemplation for all Muslims observing the compulsory fasting. However in Somalia the quiet contemplation is overshadowed by the continuous and genuine security concerns by many citizens.
Last Ramadan the terrorists group AlShabaab carried out assassinations of many civil servants in broad day light and even stormed the Presidential compound called Villa Somalia. This year, most of the public expect the same level of terrorist activities and if not more.
“AlShabaab has been silent for nearly two months now and I feel they are preparing for a big offensive in Ramadan,” said a Mogadishu business owner who did not want to be named. Another businessman who owns a store on the busy Maka-Al-Mukarama road, and again did not want to be named, went on to outline the measures he and some of his colleagues on the same street were taking to secure their businesses against attacks.
“This Ramadan we are not allowing cars to park outside our shops and we have installed a CCTV camera to record all activities in the shops,” he said. “AlShabaab today does not differentiate between civilians and government and this worries us all.”
Many who spoke to admitted they were more frightened in this Holy month of Ramadan than any other time of the year. Most stated that because of the ideological indoctrination of AlShabaab fighters they would intensify their violence against both the Government and general public.
“How can you stop someone who believes the heavens are open and he is going to go there directly if he dies in the month of Ramadan in Jihad against the government?” asked Mohamed Isse, a school teacher in Mogadishu. “We are very scared definitely and we must be more cautious in this month for our security.”
Yesterday in a show of force, Police officers marched the length of the Maka-Al-Mukarama road accompanied by other national security agencies to instil confidence in the public of the government’s security measures for the Holy month of Ramadan. While the display was impressive, many citizens were still not convinced.
“I think the government will try its best but even they cannot defend themselves against AlShabaab properly so I will worry,” said a street vendor who watched the procession yesterday with amusement.
“The fact is that government soldiers and police officers have not had salaries for nearly 4 months and they need incentives to continue sacrificing for us,” said Ahmed Muhumad Warsame, a self employed electrician. “What can we expect from these people we don’t pay properly?”
“The Somali Government and its security forces are doing and will do all they can to protect their citizens during this month of joy,” said a senior police source who did not want to be named. However, he added that the lack of salaries, increased public fear and low morale within the security and police is a concern.
Despite the heightened fear and perceived increased security challenges, the people of Somalia welcome Ramadan and intend to benefit fully from its goodness.
“We are fasting to please ALLAH (SWT) and we are doing what our beloved Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) instructed us to do to be closer to our creator. We will trust ALLAH (SWT) to protect us in this wonderful month,” said Jama Elmi Mumin, a medical student at Mogadishu University.
