Somalia: Al-Shabaab Unveils Video of ‘Special Forces’ in Fresh Recruitment Drive
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NAIROBI, Kenya – Al-Shabaab, the Somali militant faction, has dropped a new video featuring what it claims to be its elite ‘Special Forces’ unit. This move, experts suggest, aims to lure youth into joining their ranks at a time when they are under heavy fire from the Somali military.
This propaganda clip, experts warn, could stoke renewed threats throughout the region and possibly beyond. It’s also the first such release in several months, showcasing their fighters in a so-called training camp at an undisclosed site.
On Tuesday, Al-Shabaab broadcasted an over-hour-long propaganda film about a “Special Force” graduating from their “Sheikh Osama Bin Laden Training Academy,” according to a report by VOA.
The polished video seems crafted to attract more recruits in the region, featuring translations in seven tongues: Somali, English, Arabic, Amharic, Oromo, Swahili, and French.
These languages are widely spoken across the Horn of Africa and East Africa, regions where Somalia resides. Al-Shabaab has previously enlisted fighters from abroad, many hailing from Kenya, which has suffered heavily from Al-Shabaab attacks.
Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ahmed Fiqi, dismissed the footage as ‘Hollywood-level exaggeration.’ Fiqi emphasized that the Somali National Army has significantly advanced in combating the Al-Shabaab insurgents over time.
“I observed some terrorists fabricating stories in a flashy video. Clearly, they mask their frailty with this highly-produced film,” said Fiqi, a seasoned diplomat and politician in Somalia’s federal government.
“Conversely, it’s our national forces who’ve transformed Al-Shabab from genuine combatants into mere Hollywood performers,” he added, commending the Somali National Army currently battling militants in the central and southern territories.
In the past two years, the militants have forfeited considerable ground but are still bent on projecting an illusion of regional supremacy. Al-Shabaab’s ultimate goal remains to overthrow Somalia’s fragile UN-backed federal administration.
AXADLETM
