Garissa University has been attacked; leading anti-terror Ugandan prosecutor has been killed; while armed Islamic extremist have killed several Tanzanian troops; all in a span of 3 days. What does this indicate? Probably these recent high profile terrorist attacks in East Africa showcase the activation of Al Muhajiroun terror cells in the region – especially after intercepted communiqués revealed that Al Qaeda seeks to stymie ISIL penetration of East African terror groups by showcasing the capabilities of their regional affiliates; Al Shabaab in Somalia and al Muhajiroun in Kenya.
Al Muhajiroun is a branch of Al Qaeda that was created a few months ago as a dedicated terror unit for Kenya and East Africa in general. The group is probably led by Kenyan mujahedeen as it has been confirmed that Imaan Ali is one of their senior commanders – currently leading the Kenyan faction of al Muhajiroun under the nom de guerre Abu Zinnirah.
Al Shabaab commanders of Kenyan origin were instrumental in convincing al Qaeda to let al Hijra be integrated into al Muhajiroun so as to efficiently utilize the available logistical and operational resources as well as set out a clear chain of command that will avert issuing of conflicting orders.
Al Shabaab is currently on its back foot after a series of battlefield losses have significantly degraded their military capabilities – a fact acknowledged by their parent organization, Al Qaeda. To ensure the continuance of the terror campaign in East Africa as well as set up secure fall back positions for al Shabaab terror experts, Al Qaeda created al Muhajiroun. In Kenya, intelligence indicates that al Muhajiroun coordinates its terror activities with al Shabaab especially after al Shabaab relinquished a significant portion of their intelligence operations in Kenya to al Muhajiroun.
