The Al-Shabaab terrorist group recently held a conference in an area of the Middle Jubba province to discuss what the group called the Jihad which is going on East Africa.
Some of group’s top leaders including Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Omar Abu Ubaydah appeared in the conference, as shown by photos and videos released by the group’s media.
Mahad Karatay and other leaders of the Al-Shabaab group were also absent from the meeting, which caused many people to wonder why they did not appear at such a conference held by the Al-Shabaab group. .
This issue comes at a time when it has been discussed that there is a strong conflict between the senior leadership of the group, and it has split into two factions that support Mahad Karatay and Abu Ubeida.
Ibrahim Adan, who has good knowledge of the Al-Shabaab group and its leadership, and current a senior advisor of the Somali prime minister, said that the meeting was attended by Al-Shabaab Emir Ahmed Omar Abu Ubaydah, which is not attended by many of their senior leaders.
“Such a meeting should be held for those in charges in the provinces, traditional elders and scholars who are the followers of the group, and it is not necessary to see other leaders.” Said Ibrahim
The conference that Abu Ubeyda recently appeared in, Ibrahim said, was a annual, which the group started after their late leader, Ahmed Godane, abolished the Shura Council.
The Al-Shabaab group initially consisted of two councils, namely the Shura Council and the Executive Council, and later it was abolished by Godane, the former leader of Al Shabaab, who was killed in 2014.
Even thought, this conference was the second of its kind that held by the group, and the Khawarij said it was held in the Middle Jubba region, although the place where it took place was not disclosed due to fear.
