In Summary
A faction within Al-Shabaab has expressed dissatisfaction following expulsion of some of top commanders by the ailing group’s emir (leader), Abu Ubaidah.
Faction also protested against what they termed as unfair treatment of their clan besides over-taxation.
A number of fighters including some commanders have left the Al-Qaeda affiliated jihadist group citing the terror group going against the Islamic ideologies and teachings.
Fissures within Al-Shabaab have reported following the expulsion of to Al-Shabaab commanders. Al-Shabaab’s emir who has been ailing for a long time is reported to have sacked two senior commanders within the outfit.
Credible intelligence reports referenced by several open sources indicate that the militant group’s commanders disagreed along clan lines and sharing of resources. Reports further indicate that the two dismissed commanders identified as Bashir Qorqab and Mahad Karate protested of unfair treatment of their clan where they come from. They also cited of over-taxation.
Another dissatisfaction was prompted by the sharing of resources from a big telecommunication company that has been financing Al-Shabaab’s operations. For the longest time, Somali’s largest telecommunication company, Hormuud telecom has been linked with financing of Al-Shabaab operations, a claim the company has refuted.
Hawiye Murusade, Dir and Ogaden are some of the major clans in the war-torn Somalia. Al-Shabaab’s leader, Abu Ubaidah was born in 1972 in Luq area of Gedo region of Somalia. He hails from Dir clan, same as Ahmed Godane the slain Al-Shabaab leader.
Intelligence sources indicate that, one dissatisfied commander has already formed a rival faction to fight his former group over unfair treatment of his Talha clan through taxation, signaling of imminent dire ramifications to the Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia in the coming days.
Key fighters and commanders including one Zubair al-Muhajir, decamped Al-Shabaab ranks condemning the terror outfit of going against Islamic ideologies and teachings of the Quran. Al-Muhajir cited that Al-Shabaab continue to kill innocent people in the name of religion and towards establishing Islamic Sheria Law, which all are lies.
Al-Shabaab has been financing its operations through forced taxation and illegal collection from checkpoints. The militant group has severally clashed with locals, clans after forcibly taking their livestock besides forcing them to pay out alms.
These differences and clan’s politics are expected to play out in the coming days and so far the conflicts have crippled Al-Shabaab operations in some areas as communities turn hostile; also pro-ISIS faction stands to benefit from the unfolding infighting, intelligence reports indicate.
