In its attempt to outbid its parent group, the Islamic States branch in Central and South of East Africa ISCAP has waged a vicious psychological warfare targeting the rank, file, and fan networks of Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat Shabaab al Mujahideen. ISCAP Mozambique and Tanzania is a scion of the Shabaab in Somalia. It was formed by elements of Jaysh Ayman who defected Shabaab al Mujahideen and swore fealty to Islamic States in the Levant after forming the Al-Muhajiroun group. A purge by Al-Shabaab central destroyed the Al-Muhajiroun group forcing members to flee Boni Forest in Lamu Kenya to Amboni caves in Tanga and then to Mtwara in South Eastern Tanzania and to Beni and Kivu in DR Congo.
In its purge ISCAP warns wannabe jihadist of making Hijra to Somalia, citing arbitrary detaining and executions by inept and insecure local Al-Shabaab leadership. The group eulogizes executed foreign fighters who were their comrades in arms in Somalia and exemplifies their painful deaths as what awaits those making Hijra in Somalia. The group claims Shabaab ideologue, the late Sheikh Aboud Rogo, was not a choice of the Shabaab rather he fled Somalia after realizing the terrorist group wasn’t intent with expanding scope of Jihad. Aboud Rogo began teaching about Hijra and persecution of Muslims in Somalia as martyr, according to ISCAP, hence Shabaab al-Mujahideen shouldn’t exploit his teachings nor identify with him.
ISCAP claims the Somali jihadists use faces of the foreign fighters who they persecuted in their public relations effort. The Islamic States affiliate attempts to endear itself by claiming creation of a caliphate that is stronger and supportive of the plight of the Muslims in Kenya, Tanzania, Congo and Uganda. The profound knowledge about Shabaab Central operations and admin besides identities of key field commanders and their file is an indicator ISCAP has taken in a significant number of defectors from the Somali group and also a confirmation the group was grafted from the Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia.
The supremacy battle between ISCAP and Al-Shabaab is on and will be around for a while. ISCAP intends to own the Aboud Rogo ideology (even posthumously honored him) and at the same time deny Shabaab al Mujahideen rights to exploit his ideologies to their advantage. This is a very strategic approach to weaken Shabaab’s grip on regional jihadist movement that poses a consistent threat. Shabaab seems stuck and short of new recruitment strategies as the region dries of jihadists and wannabe’s either getting cold feet or opting to join ISCAP in Mozambique and RD Congo. The pressure by ISCAP will see Shabaab’s fortunes dwindle and a steady operational decline manifest. Coupled with intense kinetic military operations from Kenya, the group will steadily decline and perhaps morph into a clan militia or seek political exit from theater.
