Al-Shabaab since Saturday (October 19th) has instituted a blockade on the town of Qansah Dhere in Somalia’s Bay region. Al-Shabaab has turned back vehicles leaving Qansah Dhere route to Baidoa, Burdhubo and Bardhere, and also refused to allow entry of vehicles into the town, Qansah Dhere District Commissioner Abdi Adam Qoqane told Sabahi.

“Al-Shabab wants to sanction the people and prevent them from trading or living. They are terrorists,” Qoqane said. “They have threatened motorists causing them to cancel their trips as a result.” He said goods used in Qansah Dhere come from Mogadishu and pass through Baidoa, but al-Shabaab has refused to let the goods going to Qansah Dhere through.

He also said they refused to let vehicles transport goods from Qansah Dhere to be sold in other regions in order to destroy people’s lives. “Beans, maize and barley that grow in Qansah Dhere are transported for sale in other regions of the country, so al-Shabaab is against trade within the society,” he said.

He said government forces are preparing to liberate the regions under the al-Shabaab blockade. “We will not allow them to continue with this situation and we will attack them,” he said. Al-Shabaab has not yet commented on the blockade.

Source: Sabahi Online