New Shabaab leader labels Turkey Somalia’s ‘enemy’

AFP, MOGADISHU: The leader of Somalia’s Shabaab jihadist group Ahmed Diriye described Turkey as “the enemy of the nation” and accused foreign peacekeeping forces of plundering the country, in an audio message published Tuesday.
In his first such message since taking control of the Al-Qaeda affiliate following the death of his predecessor in a US drone strike in September 2014, Diriye said Turkish interests in the country were “looting Somali resources more than they help”.
The group is fighting to overthrow Somalia’s internationally-backed government and regularly claims attacks in the capital Mogadishu and elsewhere in the country.
In the 44-minute recorded message published on social networking sites and broadcast by a Shabaab radio station, Diriye also accused foreign peacekeeping forces of widespread human rights violations against Somali civilians including rape.
“Somalia is under the occupation of invading Christian crusaders. The so-called international community deceived the Somali society to accept that the Ethiopian and other AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) forces are peacekeepers while their aim is to conquer the Somali territories, in order to plunder its resources,” he added.
Turkey has significantly increased its role in the country in recent years, playing an active part in reconstruction efforts and supporting humanitarian projects.

New Shabaab leader labels Turkey Somalias enemy

AFP, MOGADISHU: The leader of Somalias Shabaab jihadist group Ahmed Diriye described Turkey as the enemy of the nation and accused foreign peacekeeping forces of plundering the country, in an audio message published Tuesday. In his first such message since taking control of the Al-Qaeda affiliate following the death of his predecessor in a US drone strike in September 2014, Diriye said Turkish interests in the country were looting Somali resources more than they help. The group is fighting to overthrow Somalias internationally-backed government and regularly claims attacks in the capital Mogadishu and elsewhere in the country. In the 44-minute recorded message published on social networking sites and broadcast by a Shabaab radio station, Diriye also accused foreign peacekeeping forces of widespread human rights violations against Somali civilians including rape. Somalia is under the occupation of invading Christian crusaders. The so-called international community deceived the Somali society to accept that the Ethiopian and other AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) forces are peacekeepers while their aim is to conquer the Somali territories, in order to plunder its resources, he added. Turkey has significantly increased its role in the country in recent years, playing an active part in reconstruction efforts and supporting humanitarian projects.