Somali rebel group are becoming more and more funny imposing a ban on anything especially those. They have banned wearing bras, ringing school bells, playing music on radio and watching football. They have now imposed a ban on the mobile money transfer service known as ‘Zaad’, according to Reuters.
The militant group, al-Shabab has given Somali telecoms companies offering Zaad to stop the service by 31 December 2010, alleging that the service poses a threat to the national economy. The Al-Qaeda group claims that use of Somali shillings has declined in recent months.
But according to one of the ZAAD service officials who talked to Suna Times and asked not to be named; Al-Shabaab has been given millions of dollar to stop the new market of cellphone system of money transfer by Dahab-Shiil money Transfer Company. Al-Shabaab ordered three local phone companies, Hormuud, Golis and Telesom, to stop their money transfer services or “they will face bad consequences”.
Al-Shabab also says that the mobile banking service could expose Somalia to interference by Western countries through the international partners of the Somali telecoms firms. Zaad allows customers to use their mobile handsets to transfer money, make purchases, pay bills and recharge airtime. In a country that has lacked an effective central government for almost two decades and where the banking sector remains underdeveloped, the Zaad service has become a popular means of moving money.
You can read the full Al-Shabaab statement on SAHAL / Zaad here.
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