What Zawahiri’s Killing Means for Al-Shabaab in Somalia?

Al-Zawahiri took the leadership of Al-Qaeda after the killing of Osama bin Laden, the founder of the global terrorist network on 2nd May 2011 in Pakistan by the US Navy SEAL unit.

News Keydmedia Online
3 August 2022

NAIROBI, Kenya - The US spy agency CIA on Saturday killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in an airstrike in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan as confirmed by president Joe Biden.

Al-Zawahiri took the leadership of Al-Qaeda after the killing of Osama bin Laden, the founder of the global terrorist network on 2nd May 2011 in Pakistan by the US Navy SEAL unit.

Al-Shabaab merged with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and became a powerful branch in East Africa one year after bin Laden's killing, and still remained silent on the death of Ayman Al-Zawahiri.

The group which has 7,000-9,000 fighters, both local and foreign jihadists has greatly tightened its ties to Al Qaeda for the past 10 years after pledging loyalty to Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Bruce Hoffman who is a senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations says Al-Zawahiri leaves behind a robust network of strategically aligned but tactically independent al-Qaeda affiliates operating in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Al-Shabaab has its own governance and financial systems, funding its attacks through extortion money collected from businesses, farmers, pastoralists, and public transport within Somalia.

The killing of Al-Zawahiri does not affect the attacks of Al-Shabaab, but it affects them emotionally because the group is ideologically linked to Al-Qaeda and it is in charge of the East of Africa.

Al-Qaeda does not send money or fighters to Al-Shabaab, but they are united in the global jihad. The US has hundreds of soldiers in Somalia who killed top Islamist leaders, including Ahmed Godane.

KEYDMEDIA English