Al-Shabaab Defector Claims Buuhoodle Harbors Militants Trained in Jilib
By : Staff writer
Somalia’s Puntland Region Military Court Yesterday heard the case of ten individuals accused of being affiliated with ISIS and Al-Shabaab. Among the defendants, two were identified as foreigners.
One of the accused, who claimed to be a former Al-Shabaab member, told the court that he had been recruited to establish a training camp for new Al-Shabaab recruits in Buuhoodle and surrounding areas in the Cayn region, which is part of the eastern regions of Somalia administered by Puntland. He further stated that several individuals he personally knew in Buuhoodle were members of Al-Shabaab, having previously received training in Jilib.
“A large number of people in Buuhoodle are affiliated with Al-Shabaab. Many recruits were undergoing training but were later apprehended. I was personally trained to set up camps in Buuhoodle and its surroundings. I ultimately decided to leave Al-Shabaab because of this,” he testified in court.
The defendant stated that after becoming disillusioned with the group’s ideology, he decided to defect. However, Al-Shabaab allegedly threatened to kill him for attempting to leave.
He initially surrendered to the Liyu Police (special forces of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia), but they reportedly informed him that they could not assist him and advised him to seek refuge in Puntland. He claimed he had committed no crimes.
The Puntland Military Court is expected to issue its ruling on the case soon.
