Mogadishu Shop Owners Face Deadly Dilemma Over Mandatory CCTV Installation

Business proprietors in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, confront a difficult situation concerning a government mandate requiring the placement of CCTV cameras outside their establishments. This measure aims to enhance monitoring of Islamist insurgents, specifically al-Shabab, who maintain a significant presence in the city. Merchants report that installing these cameras exposes them to the danger of being shot by al-Shabab, while failure to comply could lead to arrest by law enforcement. For their protection, the BBC has altered the identities of the business owners and residents mentioned. “The CCTV cameras are why you now see me at home,” states Hamza Nuur, 48, a former shopkeeper, while seated on a sofa with one of his children. He informed the BBC that he made the difficult choice to sell his enterprise to prevent antagonizing either party. “You’re told not to remove the cameras by one side and then you’re told to remove the cameras by the other side. Depending on the choice you make, you’ll either have a bullet or prison cell waiting for you,” Mr Nuur further explained. Last year, the government issued a mandate instructing shopkeepers to install CCTV cameras, at their own expense, as a measure to prevent assaults by al-Shabab. Mohamed Ahmed Diriye, Mogadishu’s Deputy Mayor, informed the BBC Africa Daily podcast that this initiative has yielded positive results. “There used to be four or five bombings per month in Mogadishu but that’s no longer the case,” he remarked. The government has since directed residents to install these cameras outside their residences and apartment complexes, prompting concerns among many that al-Shabab might extend its conflict to their private dwellings. According to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (Acled), a prominent violence monitoring organization, al-Shabab has been responsible for the deaths of four businessmen in 10 attacks linked to CCTV camera installations since October. The government’s mandate was intended to ultimately undermine al-Shabab’s financial resources, which are derived from extorting money from shop owners. However, Acled notes in a report on its website that the insurgents’ retaliatory actions “have forced many businesses in Mogadishu’s main markets to close their doors for days”. Mr Nuur recounted that he initially disregarded the government’s instruction but was compelled to install the cameras following an encounter with security force personnel. “I tried to explain to them I was just a poor man and didn’t want to get involved with the government but they got angry and began threatening me, saying they’ll ruin my life,” he informed the BBC. Mr Nuur stated that after installing a CCTV camera, he started receiving calls from unknown numbers. “My body started shivering from the inside. I knew who it was,” he mentioned, indicating al-Shabab operatives, who possess an established intelligence network enabling them to gather data on individuals such as Mr Nuur. Mr Nuur reported changing his phone number, only for a young man to approach him in his shop one morning. “He lifted his shirt. He had a pistol in his waist. He ordered me to turn on my SIM card.” Mr Nuur stated that he complied, and his phone rang, with the unidentified caller inquiring whether “the government’s demands are more important to you than ours”. “I didn’t know what to do. The young man with the pistol was standing there the whole time. I was thinking, once I hang up this phone call is he going to shoot. So, I whispered a prayer under my breath,” Mr Nuur further explained. He noted that, fortunately, the individual “walked out of the store without incident after I hung up the call”. Mr Nuur indicated that he chose to sell his business after two shopkeepers were fatally shot in October. “There is nothing more valuable than human life,” he asserted. Expressing criticism of the government’s mandate, Mr Nuur added: “People trying to make ends meet are being pulled into a war against a powerful group that even the government has difficulties fighting. Just imagine how we feel as civilians.” Diriye refutes claims that businesses are closing or that owners are being compelled to install CCTV cameras. Nevertheless, he concedes that some businessmen harbor apprehensions, but states that the government endeavors to reassure and safeguard them. “The city is calm and business is smooth,” Diriye concluded. Conversely, Asiyo Mohamed Warsame informed the BBC that masked assailants murdered her 40-year-old brother, Dahir Mohamed Warsame, in his shop in Mogadishu’s Yaqshid district in October. This occurred after he had installed CCTV cameras due to coercion from security forces. “He left behind six children, with the youngest being only four months old,” she stated. Shopkeeper Ismael Hashi, 33, reported closing his business following anonymous phone calls from suspected al-Shabab operatives. “They knew my name plus more. It was as if they already knew everything about me,” he conveyed to the BBC. Mr Hashi further mentioned that he subsequently received a call from the police instructing him to reopen his shop, and upon his refusal, he was held for several days before his release. Mr Hashi confirmed that he has since resumed operating his business. “I still have the CCTV cameras installed on the government’s orders but I know the government cannot protect me if someone were to decide to take my life,” he remarked. “Every time I’m standing behind the counter and someone I don’t recognise walks in, I get nervous and wonder if this is the person sent to kill me,” Mr Hashi further stated. Sidow Abdullahi Mohamed, 39, informed the BBC that he faced arrest for not installing a CCTV camera at his residence in Wajir district. He also noted that 14 other individuals on his street were similarly apprehended. “We were transferred to the Wadajir district police station where we were detained for hours. We were eventually released after someone with a government ID came and vouched for us and got us out,” Mr Mohamed recounted. He further stated that he and the other residents have since installed CCTV cameras, but they continue to live in apprehension. “As civilians we’re forced to buy the cameras, pay to install them in our homes and risk violence from al-Shabaab. Is this how the government expects to win hearts and minds?” For additional news from the African continent, visit BBCAfrica.com. Follow updates on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa, or on Instagram at bbcafrica. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.