Sheikh Abubakar Shariff, whom the U.N. and the U.S.A suspect to be the chief finance officer of Al Shabaab has revealed why more killings by Al Shabaab may continue in East Africa.

He says that the killings of prominent Sheikhs by the Christian governments of Kenya and Uganda boost youth recruitment and support for Al Shabaab. Some of the prominent sheikhs gunned down in Kenya and Uganda include Sheikh Abdul Karim Sentamu (Kampala), Sheikh Aboud Rogo (Nairobi) and Sheikh Ibrahim Omar (Mombasa). He says that the youths in Kenya and the region of East Africa at large are convinced the clerics are gunned down by security agencies.

Speaking to journalists at his home in Mombasa-Kenya, Sheikh Shariff said extrajudicial killings of Muslim leaders make Muslims around the world sympathize with Al Shabaab. The UN recently froze the assets of Sheikh Shariff over his suspected connections to terrorists. The U.N. Monitoring Group on Somalia alleges that Sheikh Shariff is a supporter, recruiter, and leading financer of Al Shabaab activities in Somalia, Kenya and Uganda. The Sheikh denies funding and recruiting for Al Shabaab. The East African governments of Kenya and Uganda have also repeatedly denied killing of Muslim leaders.

Walakira Nyanzi

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