Telecom

Somalia: Al-Shabaab destroys Hormund telecom infrastructure in Qaayib

Somalia: Al-Shabaab destroys Hormund telecom infrastructure in Qaayib
Wednesday, 09 November 2022 14:25

Al-Shabaab has been active in Somalia since 2006. The group’s repeated attacks have claimed thousands of lives and destroyed dozens of infrastructures, including telecom sites.  

Somali telecom operator Hormuud Telecom confirmed on Monday, November 7, that a car bomb attack by the terrorist group Al-Shabaab destroyed a telecom center and tower in Qaayib, a village in Galmudug state. The incident disconnected about 14,000 residents from the operator’s network.  

According to Hormuud, Qaayib and its surrounding area can no longer access its telecom and mobile money services. This is expected to cause an indefinite blackout but Hormund promises to rebuild the center to restore telecom services as soon as possible. Nevertheless, it gives no precise date for reconstruction.

Meanwhile, residents explain that Al-Shabaab is destroying wells and telecommunication centers as punishment for their support of the government’s ongoing offensive against terrorists.  

Since its inception in 2006, the al-Shabaab terror group has carried out a series of attacks in Somalia in a bid to overthrow the government, establish an Islamic state, impose sharia law and drive all foreign forces out of the country. In addition to government forces, the group sometimes attacks telecommunications infrastructure, among other things. It usually targets communications infrastructure in areas where the African Union Transitional Mission forces were operating. In 2019, Hormuud reported 12 attacks on its equipment, resulting in the disconnection of 4,000 people. The terrorists also destroyed Safaricom’s crucial infrastructure to limit communications between authorities and civilians on the Kenyan side of the border with Somalia.

Isaac K. Kassouwi

On the same topic
The announced reforms are pivotal in expanding affordable connectivity, building a future-ready digital workforce, and establishing Ghana as a frontrunner...
When fully operational, SEA-ME-WE-6 is expected to significantly improve internet connectivity and resilience across participating regions, enhance data...
As cybersecurity asserts itself as a pillar of digital sovereignty in West Africa, technology-free zones are taking on a strategic role in safeguarding...
As a new generation of African creators increasingly works to assert narratives rooted in their own cultures, the expansion strategies of global...
Most Read
01

• Global coffee consumption projected to hit a record 169.4 million 60-kg bags in 2025/2026, up from...

Coffee: Global Consumption Expected to Reach Record Level in 2025/2026
02

• Algeria grants commercial 5G licenses to top three telecom operators: Mobilis, Djezzy, and Ooredoo...

Algeria Awards Commercial 5G Licenses
03

• Investors seem to keep focusing on yields, which are high for the moment• New Leadership might see...

Afreximbank Bonds Retain Market Confidence Despite Moody’s Downgrade
04

• Kenyan President William Ruto signs strategic partnership with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to b...

William Ruto in London: New Agreement Aims to Double Kenya-UK Trade by 2030
05

• IFC teams up with AfDB and Nigeria’s EbonyLife to assess a new fund for African cinema• Sector cou...

IFC Plans Investment Fund to Help Grow African Film Industry
Enter your email to receive our newsletter

Ecofin Agency provides daily coverage of nine key African economic sectors: public management, finance, telecoms, agribusiness, mining, energy, transport, communication, and education.
It also designs and manages specialized media, both online and print, for African institutions and publishers.

SALES & ADVERTISING

Benjamin FLAUX
bf@agenceecofin.com 
Téls: +41 22 301 96 11 
Mob: +41 78 699 13 72
Média kit : Download

EDITORIAL
redaction@agenceecofin.com

More information
Team
Publisher

ECOFIN AGENCY

Mediamania Sarl
Rue du Léman, 6
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

 

Ecofin Agency is a sector-focused economic news agency, founded in December 2010. Its web platform was launched in June 2011. ©Mediamania.

 
 

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.