Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

On April 4, a bombing of the national theater in Mogadishu where the TFG Prime
Minister and several other government officials were attending a ceremony killed eight,
including the Somali Olympic Committee Chair Aden Yabarow Wiish and Somali
Football Federation Chief Said Mohamed Nur “Mugambe.”
On April 10, al-Shabaab detonated an explosive device in a Baidoa food market killing
13 and wounding 40, almost all of whom were female traders, street vendors, and
customers.
In June, al-Shabaab decapitated at least 13 men and women it accused of collaborating
against the group in Galgaduud and Hiraan regions.
On September 12, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud survived an attempted
assassination during a press conference with Kenya’s foreign minister. Several
AMISOM and TFG soldiers were killed in the suicide attack.
On September 20, multiple suicide bombings at a restaurant in Mogadishu killed at least
14 people, including three local reporters.
Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: The TFG (through August) and the
Government of Somalia (from September on), along with regional governments, continued to
pursue al-Shabaab suspects throughout the year. In partnership with AMISOM and neighbors,
the government conducted a successful military campaign against al-Shabaab strongholds in
southern and central Somalia, capturing al-Shabaab strongholds of Baidoa, Afgoye, Afmadow,
Balad, Lanta Buuro, Merca, Miido, Wanla Weyn, and Jowhar. Their most significant victory was
the September 28 capture of the port-city of Kismayo, which al-Shabaab had used as a primary
source of revenue through extortion activities and charging of duties, in particular on the export
of charcoal.
The Puntland regional government stepped up its security campaign against al-Shabaab
encouraging citizens to report any actions they believed could lead to insecurity or may be linked
to or assist al-Shabaab. On July 21, for example, Puntland security forces arrested 53 people
suspected of links with either al-Shabaab or piracy. Puntland forces also engaged in a number of
skirmishes with al-Shabaab militants along the outskirts of the Golis Mountains – al-Shabaab’s
hideout in northern Somalia – leaving at least nine dead on March 3, and 31 dead and wounded
on December 5, according to Puntland government authorities and Somali media.
The TFG (through August), the Government of Somalia (from September on), and regional
governments cooperated with U.S. law enforcement on numerous occasions, including
investigations concerning suspected terrorists, kidnapping, and other acts of terrorism committed
inside and outside Somalia.
Countering Terrorist Finance: Somalia is not a member of a Financial Action Task Force-style
regional body. There are no known laws in Somalia that criminalize terrorist financing. Somalia
does not have a formal banking sector, however there has been a reported increase in the
establishment of “banks” throughout Somalia, which includes two unregulated commercial
banks, one operating in Somaliland and the other in Mogadishu.
Somalia’s central government does not have a system or mechanism for freezing terrorist assets.
In 2012, no government entities were capable of tracking, seizing, or freezing illegal assets.
There is no mechanism for distributing information from the government to financial institutions
(principally remitters or hawalas). Many institutions operating in Somalia have international
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