10 November 2022

Hormuud Telecom’s telecommunications centre and tower in Qaayib, Galmudug, Somalia, has been destroyed in a car bomb attack by the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

The incident caused approximately 14,000 people residing in the area to disconnect from the operator's network.

Residents of Qaayib and surrounding areas now cannot access the telecommunications services provided by the operator and its Electronic Voucher Card (EVC Plus) mobile money platform.

Since its creation in 2006, Al-Shabaab has stepped up attacks in Somalia as part of its ambition to overthrow the government in order to install an Islamic State, impose Sharia law and drive all foreign forces out of the country. In addition to government forces, the group sometimes attacks telecommunications infrastructure.

Typically, the group targets communications infrastructure in areas where African Union Transition Mission forces operated. In 2019, Hormuud reported 12 attacks on its equipment, resulting in the disconnection of 4,000 people. The militants also destroyed critical infrastructure of Safaricom to limit communications between authorities and civilians on the Kenyan side near the border with Somalia.

Hormuud is committed to rebuilding the telecom centre to restore telecom services as quickly as possible.