Hiiraan Online
Saturday, December 26, 2015
MOGADISHU (HOL) – Somalia’s parliament has approved an anti-terrorism financing law in a bid to prosecute those convicted of providing financial support to groups designated as terrorist organizations.
The law which has been under review since last year would also be used to prevent money laundering being used to finance those organizations.
Announcing the result from legislators’ voting, Somalia’s parliament speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman said that out of the 155 MPs who attended the session, 136 legislators voted in favour of the law, with 8 abstentions while 11 others rejected it.
“That means this law has been approved and would be signed into law.” He said after the vote.
According officials, the new law is significant for the horn of Africa nation which is locked in a deadly conflict with the Al-Qaeda linked militant group in Somalia who still control large swathes in south and central Somalia.
According western security agencies, Al-Shabab receives a significant portion of its finance from supporters in and outside Somalia.
The development comes as leaders within the group have recently pledged an allegiance to the so-called Islamic State group fighting in Iraq and Syria.
ISIS is now the wealthiest terrorist organization on the planet, according to Foreign Policy, something which might have contributed to its dramatic raise.
The group’s wealth continues to attract the attention of other Jihadist groups mainly its rival group Al-Qaeda which sees many of its fighters switching sides to ISIS.