Somalia: Internal divisions rock Al-Shabaab - defense ministry

NAIROBI, Kenya - Divisions have emerged within the Al-Shabaab militants, a group that has been wreaking havoc in Somalia for the last 16 years, making it quite difficult for the Horn of Africa nation to complete the state-building process, which has derailed for over three decades.

Owing allegiance to Al-Qaeda, the Al-Shabaab group still controls huge swathes of rural central and southern Somalia, but recent military operations have significantly destabilized them, making it difficult for the group to wage large-scale attacks against the people.

The Ministry of Defence now claims imminent fallout is looming within the Al-Shabaab following the emergence of rival factions in the group, threatening its continuity to the advantage of the government of Somalia. The conflict pits two senior officials in the group, the ministry adds.

According to the ministry, one of the factions is allied to Mahad Karate, the group's financial controller and that of Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Diriye alias Abu Ubaida, who has been in control for the last seven years following the death of Ahmed Godane, the leader who was killed by an American drone in 2016.

The groups clashed in Al-Shabaab headquarters at Jilib and Hargeisa-Yarey in Middle Jubba, where the government troops and those from the US Africa Command and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] are set to wage the second phase of operations against the group.

"Internal strife hits Khawarij as Mahad Karate and Ahmed Diriye factions clash in Jilib and Hargeisa-Yarey, Middle Jubba. Heavy casualties among militants," the ministry said in a rare statement with regard to divisions in the Al-Shabaab militants.

"Turmoil follows the imprisonment of Mahad Karate militias. The destabilization within brings us closer to eradicating their threat," the statement further clarified what could be a huge boost to the military in the ongoing crackdown against the Al-Shabaab militants.

For quite some time, Karate and Ahmed Diriye have been fighting over the control of Al-Shabaab after it emerged that the latter could be suffering from a terminal illness. Save for various press releases he has appeared in the footage, particularly over the offensive by the military, nobody knows the whereabouts of the Al-Shabaab ring leader.

Finance control has been quite a major challenge for the Al-Shabaab, with the group collecting over $120 million annually of which $24 million is budgeted for the purchase of weapons. The financial fortunes, however, have significantly dwindled after the government started targeting the group's revenue sources.

GAROWE ONLINE