Mukhtar Robow: Al-Shabaab Founding Father Surrenders To Somalia Government

Mukhtar Robow, a former number two leader and founding father of Islamist terror group, al-Shabaab, has surrendered to the Somalian government.

He aounced to journalists at a Mogadishu hotel on Tuesday that he is severing ties to the armed group which has been carrying out attacks in the country.

“I would like to state to the Somali people and the international community that I quit al-Shabab five years and seven months ago and that I’m not a member of the group.” he said, reading a prepared statement.

“I quit because of misunderstanding and differences over the ideology, which is not in the interest of the religion [Islam], people and the country.”

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Mukhtar Robow also known as Abu Mansour, was the deputy director of al-Shabab and is the most senior figure to have quit the group since its founding in 2001.

Robow and longtime emir of the group Ahmed Abdi Godane fell out over tactics and strategy in al-Shabaab’s war to install a strict Islamist state and topple the Somali government.

He parted ways with the group in 2013 and has since become a target for the group who is trying to kill or capture him.

He surrendered to the Somali government on Sunday in the Bakool region after several days of heavy fighting between his militia and al-Shabab fighters.

According to the U.S. government, Mukhtar Robow is one of al-Shabaab’s most experienced leaders. He was trained alongside al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in the early 2000’s after studies in Sudan.

He has served the Islamic terror group in various capacities; a spokesman, military commander and spiritual leader. He has been directly linked to the plaing and execution of different deadly attacks on Somali government troops and African Union peacekeeping forces.

Reactions To Mukhtar Robow’s Surrender

Abdi Hassan Hussein, a former senior intelligence official said that the surrendered militant did not express remorse about his role with al-Shabaab.

He noted that Robow failed to reject al-Shabab’s ideology but rather only addressed differences he had with the group.

“He did not make it clear, as Somali people were expecting and waiting, that al-Shabab’s objectives and principles have no basis in Islamic law and not suitable for the Somali people,” said the former director of the U.S.-backed Puntland Intelligence Agency (PIA).

“You can tell he is still sympathetic, still has feelings for the organization. He should have apologized and asked for forgiveness for what he did to the Somali people on behalf of al-Shabab.”

Hassan, however, said he believes the defection of Robow is a positive step and good news for the Somali government.

“It’s an example to other al-Shabab leaders who still have not found the right conditions to leave the group to emulate,” he said.

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Human Rights Watch is urging the Somali government to investigate Robow for alleged human rights abuses.

They said in a statement on Tuesday that Robow in his leadership role, carried out “indiscriminate attacks on civilians, forced recruitment of children, and other abuses against residents.”

The Somali government has not yet commented on Robow’s surrender or statement and It is unknown what would happen next.