Hiiraan Online
Friday, June 17, 2011
Somalia’s opposition islamists on Friday declared their allegiance to Al-Qaeda’s newly
named leader Dr. Ayman Al-Zahiri who takes over the authority of the group after the
death of its former head Sheikh Osama Bin Laden.
Speaking to an Islamist broadcaster, Radio Andulus, Al-Shabaab spokesman Mohamud
Rage said they will support Dr. Al-Zawahiri like his predecessor Bin Laden.
"We are welcoming the naming of Dr. Al-Zawahiri, we are going to work with him
like we used to work with Sheikh Osama. We will be fulfilling the promise and the
agreements with the former leader which means supporting the new leader” Raage said
The spokesman said Al-Shabaab fighters will stand by the new leader and give him the
necessary support in order to realize their common objectives of spreading Islam.
“This is a common cause; we will be working with the new leader of Al-Qaeda. We wish
Al-Zawahiri all the best in this hard job that he must do for Muslims all over the world”
Somalia’s Al-Shabaab fighters who control much of Southern Somalia have previously
declared support for Bin Laden. The Somali group shares an array of ideological beliefs
with Al-Qaeda including having the West as a common enemy to Islam and Muslims.
Conflict and security analysts in this part of African have already hinted that Al-Shabaab
will be supporting the new leader of the global islamist group.
“Al-Zawahir was already their leader since he was the second in command. It is not a bolt
from the blue to see Al-Shabaab supporting their new chief” said one analyst
Al-Zawahiri an Egyptian physician has been the second in command for Al-Qaeda for so
many years. This week, the group’s top brass named him as the official successor of Bin
Laden.
Zawahiri's succession was announced by al-Qaida's ruling council via the internet, six
weeks after US Special Forces killed Bin Laden in a raid on a house in northern Pakistan.
The surgeon turned militant mastermind takes over as world's most wanted man with a
$25m US bounty on his head as Al-Qaeda tries to reassert authority.