Muktar Robow "Abu Mansur," the fiery spokesman for Al Shabaab, arrived in Mogadishu with armed trucks and loyal gunmen after Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed relocated to the capital for the first time since being elected in late January.
A source close to President Sheikh Sharif's office said a closed-door meeting took place at the Villa Somalia presidential compound, whereby Sharif and Abu Mansur privately discussed new changes in Somalia.
Sheikh Sharif, who was the leader of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in 2006, is expected to appoint a new Prime Minister soon, who will create a 'unity government' that is inclusive of different factions in Somalia.
Al Shabaab, considered a terror group by the U.S. government, is a splinter faction of the ICU and has rejected the UN-endorsed Djibouti peace process that brought Sheikh Sharif to power.
Radio Garowe could not independently confirm this story.
However, during his most recent radio interview, Abu Mansur did not directly condemn President Sheikh Sharif's new government but instead dedicated his comments to distancing Al Shabaab from the brutal slaying of Radio HornAfrik's late director, Said Tahlil Ahmed. READ: Al Shabaab distances itself from radio director's assassination
Another Al Shabaab official, Sheikh Hassan Yakub in the southern port of Kismayo, had publicy declared war on President Sheikh Sharif's new government after accusing the new president of "choosing America over Islam." READ: Al Shabaab declare war on Somalia's new president
If confirmed, Abu Mansur's visit to President Sheikh Sharif presents a divide within Al Shabaab, most of whose young fighters were part of the Islamic revolution in 2006 when Abu Mansur was the ICU's deputy defense secretary.
Preliminary reports indicate that the following has been agreed:
- To introduce a regional administration of the federal government in southern provinces of the country
- To form a national committee for the security matters and combining the troops from the government and ICU
- To care of all the orphans whose fathers killed in the war with the Ethiopians
- To deploy strong troops along the country’s borders to ensure the security for the regions
- To open talks with the groups risking the security in the capital if they refuse the offer for peace they will be dealt with under the Islamic religion
- To gather all the Somali religious men in and outside of the country to issue a right Fatwa to face against the Islamist rebel groups killing the civilians
- When it is assured the security in the capital, to depart the AU troops from the city peacefully
- Not to violate the rights of every body Muslims and non-Muslims
- To shoot any person or group seen throwing bombs from inside the public or try to kill a person
- To respect the freedom of expression and the free media and bring those who behind the killing of Horn Afrik radio director Saed Tahlil Ahmed before court
garoweonline.com and slashnews.co.uk