Former Alshabab leader appears on the list of the newly appointed Somali cabinet

The Former deputy and spokesperson of Alshabab, Mukhtar Roobow also known as Abu Mansoor has appeared on the list of the newly appointed Somali cabinet. The man who was once trained with the Taliban in Afghanistan will be serving as minister for endowment and religious affairs.

Mukhtar Robow had a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head after he co-founded al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab and served as the group’s spokesman. But, he split from the group in 2013 and publicly denounced al Shabaab when he came to the government side in 2017.

However, the relationship soured after he grew too politically powerful. Somalia’s previous government arrested Robow in December 2018 as he campaigned for the regional presidency of the southwest state.

His appointment could help strengthen government forces in his native Bakool region, where insurgents hold substantial amounts of territory but where Robow also commands support. Or it could fan flames with the region’s president, who sees him as a political rival.