Shabaab Denies Rift Between Top Leaders, Pledges Allegiance to Osama bin Laden

Via The Long War Journal (Threat Matrix) -

Sheikh Abu Mukhtar Robow, the deputy leader of Shabaab, has denied recent reports of a rift between him and Sheikh Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr, Shabaab's leader. The reports, which have surfaced in the Somali media, claimed that Robow is upset with Zubeyr's management of finances and the infestation of foreigners in Shabab's top leadership positions (foreigners are said to hold six of the 10 positions on Shabaab's top council; also see LWJ report, Al Qaeda leaders play significant role in Shabaab). One report even claimed that Robow would merge his faction with Hizbul Islam.

But Robow said that the reports of a disagreement with Zubeyr are false, and denied withdrawing his forces from Mogadishu. And in the process, Robow pledged allegiance to none other than Osama bin Laden. 

[...]

Robow has no problem working with foreign members of al Qaeda. Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, before his death at the hands of US special operations forces in September 2009, was a senior leader in Shabaab. He also was a senior al Qaeda leader, and was indicted by the US along with Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri for his role in the deadly 1998 suicide attacks in Kenya and Tanzania.