The media reported the arrest of Mukhtar Robow “Abu Mansur” on Thursday, 13 December 2018, at a routine meeting summoned by the acting president of the Somalia’s South West State in the region’s city of Baidoa, where he was promptly arrested by Ethiopian officers and transferred to an Ethiopian army base on the city’s outskirts before flying him to Mogadishu.
Mukhtar Robow “Abu Mansur” is a former deputy leader and spokesman of Al-Shabaab group, originally formed to fight the “Ethiopian occupation.” Before joining Al-Shabaab, in early 2000s he participated in the anti-Soviet Jihad in Afghanistan advocated primarily by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and America. Then later became a long-time leader of the Somali Islamist movement, he helped reconstitute elements of Al Itihaad Al Islamiyya, which the Ethiopian army crushed in 1997, into the Union of Islamic Courts, which briefly held power in most of south-central Somalia in 2006-2007, then disbanded after another Ethiopian invasion.
Mukhtar Robow “Abu Mansur” was on American list of the Reward for Justice (RFJ) with a bounty of USD$5 million on him on 7 June 2012; and later removed from it on 23 June 2017 following discussions between America and the Somali government. In addition, on 13 August 2017 he made news by surrendering to Somali forces in what was widely hailed as a historic defection. Once again, on 4 October 2018 he made news by declaring his candidature in November 17, 2018 elections to be held in the South West State (SWS).
The above clear confirm that indeed Mukhtar Robow is nothing but another American sub-servant in Somalia. Since he is famous and influential in his clan, therefore, his declaration for the upcoming elections was encouraged by the Federal Government in order to challenge Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, who was by then president of the South West State, and was opposing Mogadishu’s policies and seeking a second term. However, on 7 November 2018 Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden resigned hastily when he realized that he could not survive Mogadishu’s meddling and Robow’s influence. The departure of Sharif Hassan marked the end of usefulness of the Mukhtar Robow’s since the obstacle to the Somalia Federal Government was no longer existing. Therefore, the Federal Government postponed the elections thrice from November 17 to December 5 then to December 19, 2018. Furthermore, they pushed the SWS Electoral Commission to disqualify Robow as a candidate since he did not go through its Defector Rehabilitation Program for vetting ex-members of Al-Shabaab. However, Robow became persistence and so he forced the Federal Government to arrest him. Ultimately, he could not participate in the elections that were won by the favored former Energy Minister Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed “Laftagareen” on Wednesday, 19 December 2018.
America wants to ensure that Somalia remains a purely secularized state managed by adequately indoctrinated agent leaders like Farmaajo and not led by figureheads like “Mukhtar Robow” who still symbolizes their so-called extremist Islam but they can utilize such individuals when they feel their interests are threatened. Despite human rights complaints about their so-called “dangerous past”, their usefulness is dependent on the interests of the colonial west led by America who is the primary blood spiller across the globe and who cares less for the so-called human rights since they are the owners of the said organizations. Therefore, what is happening to Mukhtar Robow is not strange especially now that America wants to stranglehold the Horn of Africa through its loyal puppet leaders led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia. Through his execution of the American Policy on the Horn of Africa by uniting Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Djibouti. Hence, America appointed Donald Yamamoto as Ambassador to Somalia after almost 28 years since the collapse of their agent Siad Barre regime in 1991.
Somalia’s leadership must wake up and realize that true victory, honor and dignity brought about by genuine peace, security and tranquility can only be achieved by seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt). That is by submitting themselves to the ruling of Allah (swt) through their embracement of the call of the resumption of the Islamic way of life through the re-establishment of the Khilafah (Caliphate). A Khilafah ruling/judging by the Qur’an and Sunnah and not by the invalid secular capitalist ideology and its stinking systems emanating from it including the so-called governance system of democracy, which is peddled as the guide not only for Somalia but across the world. (وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللهِ حُكْماً) “But who is better than Allah in Judgment”.
Written for Ar-Rayah Newspaper – Issue 217 by
Ali Nassoro Ali
Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya