The expulsion of two of Al-Shabaab’s top commanders has widened the cracks in the militia group.
Reports show that the differences are along clan lines. The group’s disharmony also hinges on continued unfair sharing of resources and how and where revenue is collected.
However, the differences never started with the expulsion of the two leaders. Instead, they go back a long way. The decision to throw them out came after the conflicts had already emerged.
Ahmed Diriye, the group’s ailing leader, opted to send the two leaders – Karate and Bashir Qorqab – packing.
An intelligence report seen by Kenya’s Daily Nation says, “The three leaders had serious fallout over the need to share resources.”
One group within the militia has made its discontentment with the leadership clear. They believe that some clans have endured unfair treatment at the hands of the leadership.
