Somalia: Al-Shabaab raids leave 15,000 civilians displaced

Some 15,000 civilians in Somalia were forced to flee their homes in May after fighters belonging to Al-Shabaab raided them, Human Rights Watch reported yesterday.

Satellite imagery analysis and witness testimony has evidenced that Al-Shabaab raided villages in the Lower Shabelle region in May, abducting civilians, stealing livestock and executing arson attacks causing 15,000 civilians to flee.

Seventy people, including women and children, were abducted by the group. Residents told Human Rights Watch researchers that Al-Shabaab stole large numbers of cows, goats and camels, vital livestock for survival amid an ongoing drought.

“There is no justification for Al-Shabaab abducting civilians and burning down their homes,” said Laetitia Bader, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Read: 61 dead as Al-Shabaab takes over Somali town

Al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government over a decade, including African Union peacekeepers, to implement a strict version of its interpretation of Islamic law.