Afgoye (Sunatimes) Hizbul-Islam militias in Somalia closed a market in Afgio, 25 km west of Mogadishu on Tuesday. They later summoned the traders to their offices in Afgoye.

Hizbul-Islma militia ordered the traders to pay $30,000 as part of the money they collect from the traders to finance their activities in southern Somalia.

However the traders could only raise $15,000. They are expected to settle the remaining balance with the militia as soon as possible.

Earlier Al-Shabaab militia group ordered business people in southern Somalia to denote cash, jewelry, weapons and gasoline. In Mogadishu’s Bakara market alone the militias collected more than a million dollars.

The act of extorting funds from the local citizens by Al-shabab and Hizbul-Islam militias indicate that the two groups are experiencing shortage of funds to continue to fight government and the African Union forces in the Somalia.

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Sunatimes news desk

Mogadishu-Somalia