Former al-Shabaab spokesman runs for political office

Mukhtar Robow, a former spokesman and deputy leader of the al-Shabaab terror group, is running for political office in Somalia.

Robow, under the slogan "Security and Justice," is currently president of the South West State – one of six federal regions set up to help put in place an operational government – in the upcoming elections of December 5, 2018.

According to an article published in an international media – NBC News – Robow was born in 1959 and would have been one of the founders of al-Shabaab in 2006.

"Also known as Abu Mansour, he was inspired by al-Qaeda and trained as an activist in Afghanistan, and said he met Osama bin Laden a few days before the attacks of September 11, 2001," he said. reads in the article.

"He was then instrumental in deploying al-Qaeda's violent insurgency strategy to fight the Somali government and international forces."

The article further states that Robow was added to the US list of designated terrorists in 2008 "and that a multi-million dollar bonus was put on his head".

"But a break within al-Shabaab, between parts of the group seeking to establish a global caliphate and others like Robow, more focused on national issues, placed it on a new way, "reads another section.

Robow reportedly began hiding in 2013 after a fierce battle with then-senior al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane before making his defection public in August 2017 and asking other fighters to follow him.

Talk to Reuters on his defection that year, he said, "I left al-Shabaab because of misunderstandings and I disagree with their creed that does not serve the Islamic religion, the people and the country."

However, just before his defection, the United States took his name from the list of sponsors of terrorism and withdrew the reward of 500 million Ksh for his capture. However, he is still plagued by American sanctions that prevent American citizens from badociating with him.

"While local authorities have erased his candidacy, the central government has announced that Robow could not show up as he is under international sanction," the NBC News article said.

"A new report from the United Nations Monitoring Group indicates that about twenty other prominent members of Al-Shabab have resigned" at Robow's instigation. "

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