Somaliland: Police Detain Prominent Religious Leader

Hargeisa, Oct 1, 2013 (SDN) -The leader of Hezbollah-the Party of God, Sheikh Mahmud Abdilahi Gelle is once again a guest of the state. The leader of the unregistered Hezbollah Sheikh Gelle who is a regular visitor to prison was reportedly arrested last night by police in the capital city Hargeisa who are still holding him.

Though neither police nor interior ministry has acknowledged the arrest, the secretary general of Hezbollah Mr. Ali Omar Mahmud has confirmed the arrest and subsequent detention of his boss claiming that reasons were not availed by the law enforcers.

As an official statement on the arrest is awaited it is believed that Sheikh Galle’s current incarnation is as a result of his recent utterances in which he supported the siege of the Westgate mall in Nairobi by Al-Shabaab.

Others surmise that the administration is also angered by the sheikh’s opposition to the recently passed roads development law with attendant new road taxation which he, sheikh Gelle, termed as an extra burden to suffering citizens.

In his declaration of support to Al-Shabaab terrorism activities in Kenya and opposition to the roads bill passed by parliament and signed into law by president Silanyo, Sheikh Gelle also called upon for the introduction of the strict Islamic Sharia law “in-order to counter foreign cultural influences in the country”

Sheikh Mahmud Abdilahi Gelle took advantage of legal parameters that allow establishment of political groups formed his Hezbollah-party of God in 2012 during the run-up to local council elections but the state refused him registration but has continued to operate outside the law thus his regular visits to the dungeons though without arraignment in court.

By: Yusuf Mohamed Hassan