Yesterday, as part of its annual celebrations for Eid al Adha, Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa, released its usual speech for the occasion. Delivered by Shabaab’s official spokesman, Ali Mohamad Rage, the speech celebrated two other al Qaeda branches, the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Rage also denounced American and Turkish activities in Somalia and decried the government headed by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Speaking to other jihadists
The Shabaab spokesman quickly celebrated Al Qaeda’s activities elsewhere in the world, especially JNIM’s recent advances in Mali. “We extend our congratulations and praise to the mujahideen fighting in the Sahel and Sahara regions of West Africa, those who have shattered the artificial barriers and borders imposed between Muslims in general, and between West African Muslims in particular,” Rage stated immediately after giving Islamic greetings to begin his speech.
In late April, JNIM and its allies in the Azawad Liberation Front launched a coordinated offensive in Mali, which succeeded in assassinating top Malian officials, capturing various locales in northern and central Mali, and imposing a blockade on Mali’s capital, Bamako. Mali and its Russian allies have been able to stall JNIM’s attacks in some places, while fighting continues in others.
“We say to our brothers in the Group for Support for Islam and Muslims: congratulations to you, may God bless your jihad and accept your martyrs, and bless the victories you have achieved, and continue on the path of liberating the lands of the Muslims,” Rage exclaimed.
Rage then turned his attention to Yemen, stating that “we also extend our congratulations to our brothers in Ansar al Sharia, and to every group fighting to uphold the word of God and to defend his religion.” Ansar al Sharia is the local name under which AQAP operates inside Yemen. Rage’s praise of the other Al Qaeda branch comes as the United States and other entities have warned about Shabaab’s increasing ties with AQAP, as well as the Houthis in Yemen.
In his speech, Rage used other Al Qaeda branches and their activities to provide inspiration for his group’s men, placing Shabaab’s fighting within the broader fight shared by JNIM and AQAP.
Turning his attention to the broader jihad, Rage stressed the importance of unity among jihadist forces, a longtime sentiment within Al Qaeda’s propaganda and messaging. For instance, Rage stated, “We say to all our brothers, if the infidel nations have drawn borders separating our homelands, they will never be able to draw borders between our hearts.”
He continued, “Even if distances separate us, our hearts must remain united. We must not be swayed by the borders drawn by disbelievers between Muslims, nor by nationalist or ethnic beliefs, nor by any other factors that lead to the fragmentation and division of the Muslim community. … We must prioritize the bond of Islamic brotherhood above all other bonds that are not founded upon Islam.”
Notably, Rage congratulated Al Qaeda’s members elsewhere in the world before addressing his men in Somalia. It was only after the above statements that Rage turned his attention to Shabaab, saying, “I also extend my congratulations, in particular, to the heroes of Islam stationed in the vast area extending from the imaginary borders in Lamu [northeastern Kenya] to the coasts of Bari State and the Sanaag Mountains [northern Somalia].”
Rage noted that it is only because Shabaab’s men have “achieved security, peace and tranquility” that “millions of Muslims” across Somalia “can rejoice during Eid.”
Denouncing American and Turkish activities
Shabaab’s spokesman then turned to addressing American airstrikes in Somalia and sending condolences to those affected by them. During the current Trump administration, the United States has greatly increased airstrikes in Somalia.
According to data compiled by FDD’s Long War Journal, the US launched 132 strikes in the country in 2025, 54 of which specifically targeted Shabaab. The number against Shabaab alone was more than the entirety of the airstrikes in Somalia launched during the Biden administration. This year has already recorded a record number of strikes in Somalia, with the US launching at least 64 so far in 2026. At least 31 of these strikes have targeted Shabaab.
Rage claimed that many of these strikes have killed civilians instead of Shabaab members, saying that the operations are “further evidence that the United States and its affiliated militias view with hostility every Muslim who adheres to the doctrine of Tawhid [monotheism].” Specifically, the spokesman claimed that “Crusader aircraft” killed civilians near Kismayo in southern Somalia and near Buq Aqable in central Somalia in recent weeks. Rage stated that Shabaab extends its condolences and heartfelt apologies to the families affected.
Addressing Turkey, Rage stated that the real reason for its involvement in Somalia is to “plunder Somalia’s land, sea, and air resources.” He also accused Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of selling these assets out, saying Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud “has exchanged the contracts he signed for a handful of money to line his pockets.”
“We say to the Turkish government: this country and its wealth cannot be handed over to you by a treacherous thief who has betrayed his religion and homeland, destroyed the country’s assets, and plundered the wealth of the poor and needy,” Rage exclaimed.
As with the United States, Rage accused Turkey of killing civilians in its airstrikes in Somalia. Though Turkey does not officially comment on these operations, it is responsible for at least 23 strikes in Somalia since 2022, according to data compiled by Long War Journal. However, this is likely a significant undercount, given Turkey’s lack of transparency.
Turkey has been one of the most prominent security partners of Somalia, responsible not only for providing aerial assets but also training thousands of Somali troops and police forces.
Though Ethiopia is a longtime focus of Shabaab’s propaganda, the neighboring country only received a brief mention in Rage’s speech. The spokesman also decried its activities in Somalia as a means to steal from the Somalis in its quest for access to ocean ports.
Denouncing an ‘apostate regime’ in Mogadishu
Rage also spent considerable time lambasting what he called the “apostate regime” in Mogadishu. He said the Sheikh’s administration is only concerned with “land-grabbing” and political survival over the unity of Somalis.
Rage noted recent Somali infighting. Though he was not explicit, he was likely referring to fierce clashes in and around Baidoa in Somalia’s Southwest State. Fighting between federal forces and forces loyal to the recently ousted president of the regional state, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, has been ongoing since March. Mogadishu is also in severe disputes with both Jubaland and Puntland over various issues.
The Shabaab spokesman stated that regional leaders, “nurtured and groomed by the Crusaders,” have failed in propping up a Somali state and are now only concerned with looting resources and their personal wealth and fates. “The Mujahideen have always been aware, and have repeatedly stated, that the real rule of the apostates is not in the hands of the Somalis, even if they themselves are also apostates, but is dictated to them from the Halane camp,” Rage said. “Halane camp” is a shorthand term for the United States, the African Union, and other foreign forces based in and around this facility within Mogadishu’s sprawling airport compound.
Rage also accused Mogadishu of allowing foreign forces to attempt to “Christianize” Somalia, telling the Somali people, “You see with your own eyes the Christian leaders openly declaring that they are fighting to convert Somalia into a Christian country and to destroy the strongholds of Islam within it.”
However, Rage also offered a chance for those within the so-called “apostate regime” to repent. “Repent to God and turn away from the disbelief you have fallen into. You have been deceived by men who are fully aware of the truth of their disbelief and allegiance, yet they persist in their falsehood,” he said.
Rage continued, “Do not be mercenaries exploited in a war that defends the principles of the Crusaders. Repent to God, return to your religion and your families, and if you repent, you will be our brothers.”
Shabaab’s dual identity
Rage’s message highlighted several important facets of Shabaab’s identity.
First, the speech contradicted recent rumors that Shabaab might be flirting with the idea of leaving Al Qaeda. Not only did Rage immediately address and send congratulations to two other global branches, but many of the spokesman’s talking points also aligned with the broader messaging Al Qaeda has employed for years. This messaging includes both themes of unity and stressing that the United States, at the forefront of the so-called coalition of “Crusader states,” is allegedly attempting to “divide” Muslim countries. Shabaab’s spokesman made it clear that his group is still firmly within the transnational global jihadist community, particularly in how Rage applauded the destruction of “imaginary” borders between Muslims.
Second, Rage’s frequent references to the unity of the Somali people and the defense of the Somali state from the “Crusaders” act as another example of Shabaab portraying itself as a Somali Islamist-nationalist or irredentist organization. This binary identity has long been employed by Shabaab to appeal to a broader base, garner more public support in both Somalia and abroad, and legitimize its shadow-governance project across the territory it controls.
This dual-track messaging further exemplifies the “glocal” nature of much of the jihad, in which most jihadist groups are local actors but belong to a wider global franchise (e.g., Al Qaeda or the Islamic State) and implement the goals of their respective organizations. Though many analysts and observers stress this dichotomy, Rage’s speech also showcased that to the jihadists, the global and local issues that motivate them are one and the same.
Caleb Weiss is an editor of FDD's Long War Journal and a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation, where he focuses on the spread of the Islamic State in Central Africa.
