A placard bearing pictures of al-Shabaab leaders Mahad Karate,Jehad Mostafa and Ahmed Diriye displayed during a media briefing at the US Embassy in Nairobi on November 14, 2022.
| File | Nation Media GroupNews
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Inside al-Shabaab leadership wrangles
The bitter wrangles between two key al-Shabaab leaders in Somalia now threatens to split the militia to the advantage of ongoing counter terror operations inside the country and within the region.
Ahmed Diriye and one of his deputies, Mahad Warsame Abdi, widely known as Mahad Karate, the commander of the group’s intelligence wing (Amniyat), have a Sh1.4 billion bounty on their heads.
The two are behind major terror attacks in Kenya, Somalia and other countries in the region.
Last Friday, Somalia’s Defence ministry revealed that the dispute began when militants loyal to Karate were detained by a faction allied to the group’s spiritual leader, Ahmed Diriye alias Abu Ubaida.
Somalia said the disagreement revolves around the management of the group’s finances. However, further intelligence reports seen by the Nation show that the dispute extends to leadership and clan wars and alleged long-standing dalliance between Karate and local and foreign intelligence agencies, including the National Intelligence and Security Agency of Somalia.
According to the report, Karate’s penchant for public and media appearances have grown his stature within the rank and file of al-Shabaab, further complicating the group’s dynamics.
Karate hails from the Galmudug State and has been notably vocal in his ambitions for leadership within al-Shabaab.
“Karate faces allegations of collaboration with local and international spy agencies, sharing sensitive information about al-Shabaab’s plans and outing loyalists of Ahmed Omar Diriye, also called Abu Ubeida, the group’s emir, for successful targeted strikes. This collaboration has resulted in the deaths of several top-level al-Shabaab commanders in recent months,” notes the report.
As a result, the report says, the families of Karate and his close allies have accumulated wealth and are living in opulence outside the country despite the militia’s financial resources dwindling heavily due to the ongoing onslaught by Somalia and regional governments that have resulted in a disruption of the militant’s illicit financial activities.
It further adds that Karate has consistently harboured aspirations of leading the organisation and is thus instigating the internal strife.
“The division within the group presents both challenges and opportunities for the regional governments as they continue with efforts to combat violent extremism in the Horn of Africa region,” the classified report adds.
Additional reports indicate that Karate has further managed to shift the allegiances of several top-ranking leaders like Abdullahi Osman Mohammed alias Engineer Ismail, Mustafa Serwan, Sheikh Fuad Shongole and Abdirahman Fillow to his side after disagreements with Diriye.
Furthermore, there are claims that Karate has been secretly communicating with ISIS militants in northern Somalia, even funding their activities using al-Shabaab’s resources under his control.
“Should he gain dominance within the group, there are concerns that he might shift al-Shabaab’s allegiance from al-Qaeda to ISIS,” the report says.
The developing situation has seen opposing militants coalesce around Diriye, with the aim of preventing Karate from taking over the group’s leadership.
Clan affiliations and loyalties are also playing a key role in the power struggle within the group, with both men exploiting clan rivalries to consolidate their authority within al-Shabaab and exploit terrorism as a means of resource acquisition.
Karate hails from the Hawiye/Habargithir clan, and Diriye from the Diir lineage.
In November last year, the US Rewards for Justice Programme placed a Sh1.4 billion bounty for anyone with information leading to their arrest after linking them to multiple suicide attacks and assassinations in Somalia, Kenya and neighbouring counties.
