Al-Shabaab fighters promised hefty rewards if they kill co-members
Hiiraan governor Ali Jeyte rewarding members of the Somali army for killing senior Al-Shabaab figures
The governor of Somalia’s central region of Hiiraan Ali Jeyte has promised to reward Al-Shabaab fighters with huge bounties and a presidential pardon if they kill co-members and desert the group.
In a speech on Saturday, Jeyte said the reward for killing an Al-Shabaab foot soldier is $10,000 while that of killing a senior figure in the terrorist group is $30,000.
“People wonder where Ali Jeyte gets all this money from. I can’t lie to you. If you kill someone like Ali Dheere [Al-Shabaab’s spokesman] I will reward you with $30,000, and you will also be pardoned by the president,” Jeyte told a group of soldiers and Macawiisley fighters in the outskirts of Beledweyne town in Hiiraan.
The governor also slammed Al-Shabaab leaders for sparing their children from the war while misleading other youths into joining them.
“I am fighting this war [against Al-Shabaab] with my sons beside me. Have you ever heard of Ali Dheere’s son fighting? They are trading with blood [of other youth]?”, Jeyte said.
In October, Jeyte rewarded $10,000 cash to members of Somali National Army who killed two senior Al-Shabaab terrorists leaders near Moqokori district in Hiiraan.
Jeyte has been a key figure in the ongoing government offensive against Al-Shabaab militants in Hiiraan region often featuring in battlefronts clad in army uniform.
The offensive has been credited with liberating swathes of territories from Al-Shabaab in central and south regions and the governor’s latest pledge appears to be aimed at attracting potential Al-Shabaab defectors.
