Blockade Continuous as Wajid Marks First Anniversary since Recovered from alshabab

Wajid District of Bakol region today marks the first anniversary since Somali National Army and AMISOM troops recovered it from Alshabab fighters who were controlling the town for years, but things didn’t end there.

Alshabab laid a siege on the town for a year now causing unprecedented amount of pain and suffering to the public.

They blocked all roads in and out the town, denying all access, including public transport carrying foodstuff and necessity commodities for the residents, this is to punish the public.

Hodan Sharif is one of the business people in Wajid, she told Goobjoog that the prices has sky rocketed since the recovery of the town “Anything that cost 1 dollar in Mogadishu, costs 5 dollars in Wajid, so you can imagine the difference and the amount of suffering the public are facing” said Hodan.

All attempts by the public to deliver life sustaining commodities were futile as Alshabab burnt trade stocks on donkey carts to the town. The only access to the town is by air which is beyond the means of the local residents.

There are few occasions where the donkey carts manage to smuggle commodities in to the town, other essential groceries are delivered by air but this is too expensive.

Journalists who recently visited the town reported that the residents are fearfull of talking to the media “They would tell you that they don’t know anything to tell” said one Journalist.

The district commissioner told Goobjoog News that the situation is so serious that people are on the verge of starvation if actions are not taken to break the siege.

AMISOM and Somalia Federal Government has for several times said they would be launching operations to open roads to access the besieged towns, but action is yet to be seen as people continue to suffer allot.

Goobjoog News