This archive report was first published on 16 June 2020.
June 16, 2020 - Somalia's Federal Government has been fighting Al-Shabaab for over a decade, but the militant group has now announced plans to set up a Coronavirus treatment centre in Jilib, its de facto headquarters in the Middle Shabelle region.
Al-Shabaab, which views itself as an alternative government, has blamed foreign troops for bringing Coronavirus to Somalia through its spokesman Sheikh Dheere.
Details on the treatment centre remain scarce, but Al-Shabaab has noted the great threat posed by the Coronavirus and wishes to exploit this pandemic to establish itself as a caring alternative to the Somali people.
Through its pro-media, the group announced that its treatment committee has opened a COVID-19 centre in Jilib, about 380km south of the capital, Mogadishu, calling on Somali citizens exhibiting symptoms to seek medical help at the centre.
For months, Somali health officials have warned that areas controlled by Al-Shabaab in central and southern Somalia could be at high risk for the virus' spread, as the extremist group has resisted assistance from the government and international health organizations.
No information was immediately available about any virus cases in Al-Shabaab strongholds that remain off-limits for health workers and authorities, or how COVID-19 cases would be confirmed.
As of Sunday, June 14, 2020, Somalia had reported 2,579 COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths, according to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University.
