Analysis by Cleophus Tres Thomas III
May 23, 2014
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In a video released May 14th entitled "Muslims of Bangui and Mombasa: a Tale of Tragedy", al-Shabaab's top commander Ahmed Abdi Godane gives a 36-minute presentation about his group's views on the state of Muslims in Africa and the world.
![A still from al-Shabaab's new video shows Kenyan security forces arresting Muslims outside a mosque in Mombasa in February. While preaching that Kenya is repressive against Muslims, al-Shabaab attacks kill Muslims and Christians alike. [File]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2014/05/23/shabaab-video-still.jpg)
In messages offered in Arabic, English, Somali, and Swahili, the group argues that enemies of Islam are "looting the resources of Muslims" in a continued conspiracy against Islam -- even as al-Shabaab itself has been one of the biggest offenders of the crimes it condemns by destroying water wells and confiscating aid in areas of Somalia where communities are vulnerable to water shortages and food insecurity.
The style of the video is markedly different thanpast productions. While it included the same high-quality graphics, al-Shabaab went into depth about its interpretation of relations between Muslims and Christians dating back to the Crusades in the Middle Ages, Europe's "Scramble for Africa" in 1884 and up to recent religious conflicts elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East.
The first part of the video addresses the crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR), where international peacekeeping forces from France and other countries are trying to contain ongoing violence between Muslim and Christian militias.
A revised history
Godane, also known as Abu Mukhtar al-Zubayr, offered his own explanation of history.
"What is happening in Central African Republic is a massacre of Muslims under the supervision of [French] forces, which is just a repetition of what happened to Muslims in Bosnia," he said. "This is an addition to other crimes Crusaders committed against Muslims throughout history. From the [time of the] Berlin Conference in 1884 in Europe that divided African countries… this conspiracy did not stop."
In referencing Bosnia, Godane was alluding to the July 1995 massacre at Srebrenica in which United Nations peacekeeping forces failed to stop the advance of Serbian troops who later killed thousands of Bosnian Muslims taking refuge in the city declared to be a UN "safe area".
Godane continued his address the people of CAR, saying, "Today, history repeats itself in Bangui…Use lessons from history…Take up arms, fight your enemies, and defend your religion, honour and resources…"
Contrary to Godane's call, most religious leaders, civil society, politicians and militia leaders in CAR have said they do not wish for further violence, but seek peace and reconciliation in order to end the conflict that has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent civilians and displaced over 900,000 people.
As Somalia tries to avoid slipping back into its own similar humanitarian disaster, al-Shabaab recently has blockaded roads and threatened businesses in order to prevent Somali communities from receiving vital goods and food assistance -- a strategy it has used repeatedly in the past.
Like their counterparts in CAR, Somalia's religious leaders -- who have been the target of al-Shabaab attacks themselves -- have urged the group to repent and cease attacks on innocent Somalis.
From Central African Republic to Kenya and Syria
In the video, al-Shabaab takes a similar approach in its message to Muslims in Kenya.
The narration begins with the abuses Kenyan security forces committed in the 1980s in the former Northern Frontier District (now comprised of Mandera, Garissa and Wajir counties) -- featuring a Kenyan-Somali man who described how his relatives were killed in the Wagalla massacre in Wajir in 1984.
Fast forwarding to today, the narrator and Godane both condemn abuses against ethnic Somalis and Muslims in the most recent controversial security operations in Nairobi and Mombasa intended to stem terrorist attacks and root out undocumented residents.
The group encourages its viewers to "follow in the footsteps" of slain radical Mombasa clerics Sheikh Aboud Rogo Mohammed and Sheikh Abubakar Shariff Ahmed, known as Makaburi -- whose mysterious deaths were framed as "extrajudicial killings" by Kenya's Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) and led to violent public protests.
"Do not waste your time protesting in front of courts and petitioning parliament," Godane said. "They only respect those with power and only understand the language of weapons."
Even as al-Shabaab attempts to exploit the legitimate grievances of some Kenyans, the group has offered nothing to address these concerns.
Rather, al-Shabaab's infamous raid at Westgate mall in Nairobi and other attacks in north-eastern parts of the country have hurt Muslims and Christians alike by killing innocent civilians, forcing the closure of schools and reducing the already limited number of medical services available to residents due to security fears.
Instead of harsh security crackdowns or equally violent reprisal attacks, former Kenyan military leaders and civil rights activists have called for measured and legal responses to insecurity. They have advocated that dialogue and development are needed to address conflict in the country.
Preaching unity, killing rivals
As a brief note before concluding his message, Godane addresses al-Qaeda and the mujahideen of Syria -- who continue to engage in attacks against each other as they seek to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power.
"We have been hurt by the report about the fighting among the mujahideen," Godane said. "Please fear God and…do not spill the blood of the mujahideen."
Although Godane attempts to show a face of unity among fellow mujahideen, recent history proves otherwise. In 2013, Godane and his followers pursued a relentless campaign against al-Shabaab members who disagreed with his leadership and interpretation of jihad.
Godane loyalists descended on the Somali town of Barawe in June 2013 and engaged in a pitched battle with al-Shabaab members loyal to former second-in-command Ibrahim al-Afghani, who later was arrested and executed along with Sheikh Maalin Burhan.
Months later after being on the run from Godane gunmen, American-born jihadist Abu Mansour al-Amriki was executed as well, but not before telling the media the reasons behind Godane's campaign of assassinations and murder.
In fact, Godane's questionable leadership and penchant for executing his rivals were some of the primary reasons former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden rejected Ayman al-Zawahiri's request to allow a merger between the central organisation and al-Shabaab.
Since bin Laden's death in May 2011 and al-Shabaab's merger with al-Qaeda in February 2012, al-Zawahiri has failed to address pleas from al-Shabaab members to reel in Godane's repressive rule.
The fight for relevance
As global media shifts its attention to emerging issues in Nigeria, Syria and elsewhere, new messages from al-Shabaab and Godane in particular are likely aimed at restoring their relevancy in the jihadi landscape, as well as to recruit new sympathisers and support.
The group's recent endorsement of Boko Haram's kidnapping of more than 270 schoolgirls in Nigeriafurther highlights how the group seeks to remain relevant on issues of the day. But its stand on a universally reviled action merely reflects its own sordid past with children.
Al-Shabaab is also trying to convince audiences that it understands the context of conflict outside Somalia, but the group misinterprets the needs and aspirations of communities in the Central African Republic, Kenya and beyond.
In addition, the hypocrisy of al-Shabaab's own actions show that the group refuses to heed its own advice and cannot address the grievances of communities from which it seeks support.
While al-Shabaab has shown that it is a resilient group still capable of high-profile attacks, its real relevancy will be determined by how it responds to complaints of oppression from within its own ranks and the ongoing military offensive by the Somali National Army and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces that is slowly ousting al-Shabaab from its previous strongholds
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