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a graduation ceremony for around 200
al-shabab fighters the latest recruits
for the militants that rule over a third
of somalia
their face is covered so they can
operate anonymously
they are fighting to overthrow the
internationally recognized government of
somalia
democratic
these soldiers will be sent on missions
to carry out attacks against the somali
government as well as african indian
troops stationed here and in neighboring
countries
they have undergone several months of
intense training to become battle ready
they might not want to reveal their
identities but they do want to show
their force
uniforms guns vehicles all spoils of war
stolen from the enemies and of course
the essential mug for sweet tea
notoriously suspicious they rarely give
access to outsiders
i'm the first journalist allowed to film
them in years it
his nickname and not to his extensive
martial arts training he was once a
somali government intelligence officer
who is now one of al-shabab's most
senior leaders
justified
was formed in 2002 and came to
prominence in 2006 when ethiopia invaded
somalia
a few years later they pledged
allegiance to al-qaeda
the militants have carried out wave
after wave of attacks over the years
targeting the african union forces who
are here to protect the somali state
but civilians are often the victims
this explosion in 2017 killed over 500
people in mogadishu
the u.s and europe have spent billions
of dollars to try to defeat them
president biden recently announced that
u.s soldiers would once again be
stationed here
western nations regard al-shabab as a
terrorist organization that's causing
havoc and instability in the east africa
region that's why they have been
targeting their leaders with drone
strikes funding the african union
mission and supporting the somali
government
but after 16 years of fighting to
eliminate the militants al-shabab still
remain strong
i have come to the group's heartland to
find out why
this is the de facto capital of
al-shabab the city of chilep in southern
somalia
i am being given a tour by the governor
and one of the group's most senior
leaders
he takes me to a checkpoint where all
vehicles coming into the region are
searched
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you
each vehicle has to pay between 200 and
1500 us dollars to pass through
depending on the size and the goods they
are carrying they collect millions of
dollars of taxes a month to fund their
military campaign and the efforts to
build a state
there is also some more unusual
contraband
plastic bags are banned in al-shabab
territory
their environmental policies might be
the same but the uk government considers
them one of the most dangerous terrorist
organizations in africa
the governor himself has a bounty on his
head and has survived multiple
assassination attempts
as he shows me around he argues the
perception of al-shabab is not accurate
he takes me to the main hospital where
they have invested two million dollars
to build new departments
hannah
i have come across this billboard you
might not believe this message is from
al-shabab but it reads
your opinion is important
your complaints will be listened
with al-shabaab's reputation are people
really brave enough to complain
the suggestion box is just a few hundred
yards from where they carry out regular
public executions under the governor's
supervision
next abu abdullah takes me to a food
distribution center he tells me they are
trying to establish a welfare state
i asked him if this was a strategy to
win public support
and
this region is the most fertile land in
somalia but elsewhere in the country
there is severe drought
humanitarian agencies warned that
millions are at risk of starvation
foreign
it's hard to know whether people are
only supporting the group in exchange
for food
i wanted to find out what residents in
gilip who aren't reliant on handouts
think
so i head into town on my own that
evening
i stopped at abdulrahman's barbershop he
is originally from hargeys in northern
somalia but moved here six years ago
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but there's another reason too
in al-shabab areas drugs are strictly
forbidden
abdulrahman was once an addict but the
restrictions have helped him kick his
habit
there is little crime here in gilipe due
to a heavy al-shabab security presence
and brutal punishment
thieves have their hands and feet cut
off
but they are not just here to prevent
crime
their role is also to implement strict
islamic rules
foreign
in the past people who were caught would
be punished but they are now taking a
softer approach as part of their
strategy to win public support
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al-shabab's goal is to govern the whole
of somalia and restrict sharia law
and that means educating future
generations to create a loyal following
children were what are considered to be
al-shabab symbols on their foreheads
the group have opened dozens of schools
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teaching subjects like computer science
maths and english alongside al-shabab
ideology
you have to be able to describe
peer-to-peer versus
server-based networks
muhammad has six children al-shabab are
often compared to the taliban but they
encourage women like her to work and
girls to go to school they also don't
force women to cover their faces
although some do
the women they walk i'll show up they
are just work they don't force you to
stay at home but they encourage us to
come out and work and they give us
suitable conditions to work and learn
also
back at the graduation ceremony the new
fighters are sharing a feast with ahmed
karate
a popular man here the u.s has placed a
5 million dollar bounty on his head
he is seen as playing a key role in the
planning and execution of attacks in
somalia and beyond
he's never given an interview but while
u.s drones fly around us he sits down
with me under the canopy of the trees
foreign
these graduates will soon be sent into
action al-shabab leaders know that the
west is running out of patience with the
somali government
funding for the african union mission
here has been cut year after year
and many of their soldiers have been
killed
they also have their own issues to deal
with at home and are scheduled to leave
somalia in 2024
al-shabab
are playing a waiting game