Scores flee extremist group
DOZENS of former al-Shabaab child soldiers are hiding in South Africa, running away from the extremist Somali group that is known for its terror attacks.
Today the Daily Dispatch can exclusively reveal that there are about 60 of these soldiers hiding in places such as Korsten in Port Elizabeth, Mayfair in Johannesburg, Durban and parts of the Western Cape.
A few are in Mpumalanga and Mozambique.
This past weekend the Dispatch tracked down two of them and met them at a house in Korsten, Port Elizabeth.
They agreed to speak on condition of anonymity as they fear for their lives.
Their story was corroborated by a senior leader within the Somali community in South Africa and a source within the Hawks, the elite police unit.
The two said they were willing to help the South African government in its investigation into the activities of al-Shabaab in South Africa.
They claimed secret al-Shabaab meetings have been held in South Africa, mostly in Mayfair in Johannesburg.
Currently al-Shabaab is not using South Africa to train its militias but just to hold meetings.
One of the men, Farah (not his real name), 29, works as a part-time shop assistant and security guard while another, Mohamed (also not his real name), 20, does odd jobs.
Farah joined al-Shabaab in his teens in the Shibis region near Mogadishu in early 2000.
“Young people from America and Europe venture into al-Shabaab for fun, but once inside, it’s painful because one has to convert to Islam.
“They killed my father when I left and they are now hunting me down because I know secrets about them,” he said.
He said al-Shabaab support in South Africa was growing.
Somalis in South Africa donate money to al-Shabaab through associations. The money is transferred illegally out of the country.
“There are people who are specifically sent to hunt us down and some of us die mysteriously…we feel it’s time to reveal this and we are willing to help the state with information,” said Farah.
Mohamed from the Kismayo region in Somalia was recruited to join the al-Qaeda off-shoot when he turned 14.
“Later they called for my brother to join the group, and when my family refused, they said they would kill me. I escaped to Kenya and ended up here,” said Mohamed.
Mohamed claimed the Somali Association of South Africa (Sasa) was being used as a conduit for money collected from Somali businessmen in South Africa.
This money is then transferred to Somalia and he suspects supports al-Shabaab.
But a Sasa official, who would only identify himself as Hassan, refused to talk about al-Shabaab.
“No, I don’t know al-Shabaab. Bye.”
A senior Somali community leader based in Port Elizabeth confirmed to the Dispatch he had been approached by the two men to get help.
“They are not the only ones. I met a number of them who are hosted by relatives here in the Eastern Cape.”
The Hawks have deployed investigators across the country to probe the activities of al-Shabaab within the country. Last week Hawks spokesman Paul Ramoloko confirmed the investigations, but yesterday referred questions to the Ministry of State Security.
“We are no longer talking on the matter (of al- Shabaab). The State Security is now handling it,” said Ramoloko.
But state security spokesman Brian Dube said it was difficult for their department to talk on the issue. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
Al-Shabaab child soldiers hide in SA
DOZENS of former al-Shabaab child soldiers are hiding in South Africa, running away from the extremist Somali group that is known for its terror attacks.
Today the Daily Dispatch can exclusively reveal that there are about 60 of these soldiers hiding in places such as Korsten in Port Elizabeth, Mayfair in Johannesburg, Durban and parts of the Western Cape.
A few are in Mpumalanga and Mozambique.
This past weekend the Dispatch tracked down two of them and met them at a house in Korsten, Port Elizabeth.
They agreed to speak on condition of anonymity as they fear for their lives.
Their story was corroborated by a senior leader within the Somali community in South Africa and a source within the Hawks, the elite police unit.
The two said they were willing to help the South African government in its investigation into the activities of al-Shabaab in South Africa.
They claimed secret al-Shabaab meetings have been held in South Africa, mostly in Mayfair in Johannesburg.
Currently al-Shabaab is not using South Africa to train its militias but just to hold meetings.
One of the men, Farah (not his real name), 29, works as a part-time shop assistant and security guard while another, Mohamed (also not his real name), 20, does odd jobs.
Farah joined al-Shabaab in his teens in the Shibis region near Mogadishu in early 2000.
“Young people from America and Europe venture into al-Shabaab for fun, but once inside, it’s painful because one has to convert to Islam.
“They killed my father when I left and they are now hunting me down because I know secrets about them,” he said.
He said al-Shabaab support in South Africa was growing.
Somalis in South Africa donate money to al-Shabaab through associations. The money is transferred illegally out of the country.
“There are people who are specifically sent to hunt us down and some of us die mysteriously…we feel it’s time to reveal this and we are willing to help the state with information,” said Farah.
Mohamed from the Kismayo region in Somalia was recruited to join the al-Qaeda off-shoot when he turned 14.
“Later they called for my brother to join the group, and when my family refused, they said they would kill me. I escaped to Kenya and ended up here,” said Mohamed.
Mohamed claimed the Somali Association of South Africa (Sasa) was being used as a conduit for money collected from Somali businessmen in South Africa.
This money is then transferred to Somalia and he suspects supports al-Shabaab.
But a Sasa official, who would only identify himself as Hassan, refused to talk about al-Shabaab.
“No, I don’t know al-Shabaab. Bye.”
A senior Somali community leader based in Port Elizabeth confirmed to the Dispatch he had been approached by the two men to get help.
“They are not the only ones. I met a number of them who are hosted by relatives here in the Eastern Cape.”
The Hawks have deployed investigators across the country to probe the activities of al-Shabaab within the country. Last week Hawks spokesman Paul Ramoloko confirmed the investigations, but yesterday referred questions to the Ministry of State Security.
“We are no longer talking on the matter (of al- Shabaab). The State Security is now handling it,” said Ramoloko.
But state security spokesman Brian Dube said it was difficult for their department to talk on the issue. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
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