The Emir of Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen (HSM) Ahmad Umar Ubeidah through an audio condemned the slated Indian Ocean maritime border dispute between Kenya and Somalia at International Court of Justice (ICJ).
In an audio released on Thursday, 19th September 2019, the emir reiterated that Shabaab will not honor the verdict of ICJ terming the court as run by infidels and apostates.
The video seeks to portray the Al-Qaeda aligned Al-Shabaab an alternative government caring about sovereignty of Somalia, thus calling on Somali Muslim to support its agendas over Federal Government’s.
Shabaab indirectly seems to be sending a coded message that it’s unhappy with Federal Government of Somalia referring the maritime case to a court run by enemy of ‘Muslims’. Ubeidah, whose whereabouts still remain scanty, noted that the anticipated ruling by International Court of Justice will not change the group’s decision.
In the 20-minute audio spread by pro-Shabaab websites, the group’s leader accused the West of pillaging the country’s natural resources under weak and manipulated Federal Government’s watch.
Al-Shabaab which wishes to topple Mogadishu government has been issuing threats to clan elders to support its cause or face grave consequences. Through its pro-media the group has overly boasted how it has managed to receive and recruit over 1700 clan elders in Somalia as its defacto political delegates.
Al-Shabaab released pictures of tribal elders welcoming them in the central Somali state of Mudug. The group also claimed to have received another batch of clan elders from provinces of Hiran, Central Shabelle, Mudug, Bay and Bakool in a move aimed at portraying the group as gaining traction and grip besides trusts.
The group also sought to gain mileage, sympathy and trust from Somali populous when it recently released pictures while distributing Zakat money to its beneficiaries in the Somali capital Mogadishu.
Shabaab is using the same strategy, taking advantage of the Kenya-Somalia maritime row to exhibit its pretentious concern over the people of Somalia and reassuring to guard its sovereignty, the opposite of what Federal Government doing.
Kenya and Somalia are embroiled in Indian Ocean maritime border row, which is currently filed the ICJ. The court will listen to submissions from both sides in November 2019 after Kenya asked for time to recruit a new legal defense team.
Kenya accuses Somalia of auctioning oil deposits along its Indian Ocean maritime border.
Mogadishu has been unhappy with Nairobi budding relations with Somaliland and also it has accused the East Africa powerhouse of imposing Jubaland leader Ahmed Madobe, following a contentious election in August.
