Hormuud Attack in Garasbaley: Part of Ongoing Assaults on Company

Mogadishu, SOMALIA – Six employees of Hormuud Telecom, Somalia’s largest telecommunications company, yesterday lost their lives when their vehicle was targeted by a suspected Al-Shabab improvised explosive device (IED) in Garasbaley, on the outskirts of Mogadishu. This latest Hormuud attack is part of a disturbing pattern of violence directed at the company by the terrorist group, which has been increasingly targeting Hormuud’s infrastructure, services, and personnel in recent months.

The Hormuud attack in Garasbaley has sent shockwaves through the Somali business community and raised fresh concerns about the safety of civilians working for companies that find themselves caught in the crosshairs of the conflict between Al-Shabab and the government. The six Hormuud employees were traveling in a company vehicle when the IED detonated, killing all occupants on the spot.

This latest Hormuud attack is a grim reminder of the indiscriminate nature of Al-Shabab’s violence and the group’s willingness to target civilians in its campaign of terror against the Somali government and those perceived to be collaborating with it. The loss of six innocent lives is a tragedy that underscores the urgent need for more effective measures to protect civilians and counter the threat posed by Al-Shabab.

Al-Shabab’s Campaign Against Hormuud

The Garasbaley incident is not an isolated event but rather part of a broader pattern of attacks targeting Hormuud’s infrastructure, services, and personnel. In recent months, suspected Al-Shabab militants have carried out a series of attacks on Hormuud offices and base transceiver stations (BTS) in Mogadishu and its environs, causing significant damage and disrupting the company’s operations.

These attacks appear to be part of a deliberate strategy by Al-Shabab to undermine Hormuud’s ability to provide telecommunications services in Somalia, which the group sees as a threat to its own control over information and communication in the areas under its influence. By targeting Hormuud’s infrastructure and personnel, Al-Shabab seeks to create a climate of fear and intimidation that will deter the company from operating in certain areas and limit its ability to support the government’s efforts to extend its authority and services across the country.

Hormuud in the Crosshairs

Hormuud Telecom finds itself in an unenviable position, caught between the competing demands of the Somali government and the threats of Al-Shabab. The terrorist group has not only targeted Hormuud’s infrastructure and personnel through physical attacks but has also sought to undermine the company’s operations by banning its services, particularly the popular e-money platform known as EVC Plus, in areas under its control and away from active combat zones. It did so to punish the company for providing financial services to the government and its allies, and for refusing to provide Al-Shabab with requested information.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, in January, Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) targeted Hormuud, accusing the company of working with Al-Shabab and facilitating the group’s activities. These accusations have put Hormuud in a difficult position, as it seeks to maintain its operations and protect its personnel while navigating the complex web of alliances and conflicts that characterize Somalia’s political and security landscape.

On the one hand, Hormuud has sought to cooperate with the government and support its efforts to extend its authority and services across the country, including by providing information required by law to the government, and offering telecommunications infrastructure and services in areas that Somali forces have liberated from Al-Shabab’s control. This cooperation has made the company a target for Al-Shabab, which sees it as a collaborator with the government and a threat to its own influence and control.