The Al-Qaeda-proxy Somali militants of Al-shabaab have on Sunday ordered off air two of the country’s largest telecommunications companies NationLink telecom and Telcom Somalia.

 

“Today the two network companies are not operating in all Al-shabaab-controlled regions in Somalia” sources close to the companies said.

 

The sources indicate that the militants asked both companies to pay millions of US dollars if they needed to remain operating. “The companies told Al-shabaab that they couldn’t afford to pay such large sum of money and the militants then ordered both companies to close” he noted.

 

Residents in the Al-shabaab administered regions who were reached for comment on another network Hormuud Telecom confirmed that both main telecommunications companies were forcibly closed by the militants on Sunday morning.

 

“I don’t know why Hormuud is still operating, while NationLink and Telcom Somalia were denied access” the source added.

 

The two closed companies have in the past been very active in humanitarian operations to help the famine-victims in the war-devastated country. The militants have not yet commented on why they closed the two large telecommunications companies.

 

NationLink was one of the sponsors of last year’s regional football tourney for peace and development in Somalia, while Telcom Somalia was the first company who started to sponsor sporting activities in Somalia late in 1990s.

 

NationLink Telcom has close cooperative ties with Somali Sports Press Association and in 2008 the company provided free of charge telephone service with the compound of Somali Sports Press Association.

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