Sunday, March 1, 2015

Somalia, Money Transfers, and Al-Shabaab

Foreign Policy published on 26 February 2015 an article titled "Transfer Denied: The Hidden Costs of Washington's War against Al-Shabaab" by Jamila Trindle.

Drawing on conversations with the Somali-American community in Columbus, Ohio, this article discusses the downside of U.S. policy aimed at minimizing the possibility that money from the Somali disapora might reach al-Shabaab in Somalia.  While the United States government does not prohibit money transfers to Somalia, American banks are worried about the possibility of violating sanctions and incurring large fines should the money being transferred fall into the hands of al-Shabaab.  Hence, they are taking the risk free approach of ending the transfers.