- MOGADISHU, Somalia: One of Al-Shabab’s senior leaders has lashed out at the group’s brutality against civilians, but a Somali government spokesman is dismissing that outburst, calling the leader a “murderer.”
Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys said over the weekend that killing civilians in the name of Islam is wrong in a message apparently intended for more hard-line members of the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab.
Despite the fact Aweys’ words appeared to cut against Al-Shabab, Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Omar Osman on Monday did not welcome them. He said that Aways is also a murderer who deceives children and killed them.
Al-Shabab declared earlier that it had formally joined Al-Qaeda. It is trying to apply an austere version of Islam that has caused the group’s popularity to plunge.