Daily Star
Monday, November 04, 2013
Extremist group al-Shabaab – who claimed
responsibility for the recent Westgate shopping mall siege in Nairobi –
are best known for fighting a bitter civil war in the East African
country.But we can reveal the hardline group
has attempted to win over the hearts and minds of locals in the Barrawe
region of the troubled state by organising their own post- Ramadan
festival.
The games came to light after a recent
bout of infighting between rival al-Shabaab factions sparked rumours
the group could disband.
So leaders put on the
unlikely demonstration of solidarity at a beach in August, led by Sheikh
Abu Abdalla – governor for the lower Shabelle region of the country.
Festivities
included potato sack races, musical chairs, traditional military
exercises, egg-and-spoon races, rope-balancing games and even motorcycle
riding.
SET GO: Locals take part in the sporting events organised by al-Shabaab [SOMALIANEWSROOM.COM]
Observers claimed the unlikely get-together was the result of
local leaders who are loyal to al-Shabaab boss Ahmed Abdi Godane hoping
to portray a united front before hundreds of residents in the
strategically important port town.
Those living under al-Shabaab rule are subject to the most draconian version of Sharia law, which is often violently enforced.
Football and music are banned, women are forced to cover their faces in public and are lashed if they don’t obey.
News
of the fun-packed event came just days after pictures emerged showing
White Widow terror suspect Samantha Lewthwaite posing in Halloween-style
snaps with her children while on the run.
HOT SEAT: Game players shuffle around in time to get a seat while playing musical chairs [SOMALIANEWSROOM.COM]
The former Aylesbury-based schoolgirl and wife of 7/7 suicide
bomber Germaine Lindsay used a picture editing app to add comedy
effects to a series of photos featuring her children, including a purple
witch’s hat and a policeman’s helmet.
Dubbed “the world’s most
wanted woman”, Lewthwaite is suspected of involvement in September’s
Nairobi terror attacks that claimed the lives of 70 people, including
five Brits.
In 2010 al-Shabaab carried out its first overseas
terrorist attack when two suicide bombers killed 67 people watching the
World Cup final on TV in Kampala, Uganda.