In a stunning decision, barely one week after the Al Shabaab attack on Liido Beach, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has appointed former Al Shabaab member Ibrahim Nadaara as the Director General of the Ministry of Religion.
Ibrahim Adan (Nadara) who was responsible for the indoctrination and brainwashing of the Somali youth in Al Shabab’s schools until 2016 was appointed to a ministerial position in the Somali government just one week after a deadly Al Shabab bombing killed 80 people in Mogadishu.
This appointment highlights the complex dynamics within the Somali government, where former Al Shabab members, including Roobow, Fiqi, Nadaara, Koofi, and Jaamac, are now holding key positions.
What is being portrayed as a “war on Al Shabab” is in reality, an internal conflict within Al Shabab for leadership, with former members now in government positions (like the list below) challenging the current Al Shabab leadership, including figures like Abu Ubayda, Ali Dheere and Mahad Karate.
Foreign Minister – Ahmed Moalim Fiqi β Fiqi began his career in the 2006 Islamic Courts Union, where he led the Al Furqan Court in the Hodan neighborhood. Since then, he has maintained what the UN describes as “a very close relationship with Al Shabab.”
Defense Minister – Abdulkadir Nur Jama β Jama joined the Yaqshid ICU court but due to his young age, he became closely associated with the Ifka Halane Al Shabab courts instead. When Ghaith Abdul-Ahad interviewed him in 2009, he was a 22-year-old, battle-hardened terrorist fighter.
Minister of Religion – Mukhtar Roobow:β Roobow was a founding member of Al Shabab and trained with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. He is credited as the mastermind behind the first suicide bombing in Somali history. Roobow served as Al Shabab’s spokesperson before defecting to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS).
Minister of Health – Dr. Ali Haji:β The current Somali Health Minister, Dr. Ali Haji, was an Al Shabab educator and health official in Ceel Cali during the early 2010s.