Mogadishu’s mayor isn’t pulling any punches in his recent drug crackdown in the Somali capital.
Yusuf Hussein Jimale, on the other hand, has turned to the whip, as evidenced by a video of him flogging a group of teenagers.
He strikes them with a long stick for allegedly engaging in intoxicating activities while smoking cannabis and shisha (a sweet-smelling herbal tobacco) at a nightclub on the city’s famous Lido Beach.
Mogadishu, already one of the most dangerous cities in the world due to the constant threat of attacks by Islamist militants, is experiencing an increase in problems with organized gangs.
The mayor has made it his mission to address this issue, which authorities believe contributes to drug abuse, particularly among youth.
For months, there have been raids on nightclubs and other entertainment venues.
The mayor, known as “Madale,” which means “energetic” in Arabic, has prohibited the sale of tobacco, shisha, and other substances that are already prohibited in the Muslim country.
Madale has maintained his stance and use of the lash, claiming that discipline is necessary for youth and that a stick is preferable to a gun.
We whipped some of them who tried to fight us while drunk. He made it clear 10 days ago that no one would tolerate the kind of behavior we’d witnessed.
Some people are outraged by the mayor’s vigilantism and want proof of his victims’ alleged wrongdoings as well as a fair trial.
Instead of relying on the proper authorities, the mayor decided to enforce the law himself. Muna Hassan, a social affairs activist in Mogadishu said that offenders should be punished through the criminal justice system.
