Somalia disrupts terror financing networks in major security offensive

Somalia has intensified its campaign against terrorism financing,taking decisive action to dismantle the financial infrastructure sustaining extremist group Al-Shabaab.

The National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT),led by Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh,reported the deactivation of 575 mobile lines and the freezing of 21 bank accounts linked to the group between January and June 2025. In a high-level meeting in Mogadishu,the committee detailed a sweeping national strategy that also included shutting down 88 merchant accounts suspected of laundering extorted funds,dismantling illegal checkpoints,and neutralizing high-ranking financial operatives. Several individuals involved in collecting money for militants were arrested and referred for prosecution.

Somali authorities attribute the campaign’s success to growing public cooperation and stronger partnerships with the private sector,reinforced by awareness initiatives that encouraged citizens to reject and report extortion attempts. The effort was backed by a legal framework enabling detection,asset seizure,and judicial action against financiers. The Somali government reaffirmed its constitutional duty to protect civilians and warned of harsh penalties for anyone facilitating terror financing. This comes as U.S. military forces continue to support Somalia’s broader counterterrorism mission,conducting 51 airstrikes this year in coordination with Somali forces to bolster regional stability,as reported by defenceWeb,Africa’s leading defense news portal. According to Modern Diplomacy,“the strikes show a deliberate and evolving U.S. strategy in Somalia that prioritizes threat containment,sovereign coordination,and forward defense in alignment with stated U.S. national security goals.”