Abu Hamza Al-Murqoshi: The Enigmatic Amir of Yemen’s Ansar Al-Shari’a
Abu Hamza Al-Murqoshi: The Enigmatic Amir of Yemen’s Ansar Al-Shari’a
Abu Hamza Al-Murqoshi, the enigmatic Amir of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) newly formed Ansar al-Shari’a, rose to power last spring as anti-government revolts overwhelmed former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s government and military in Sana’a.
Under the Amir’s leadership, Ansar al-Shari’a has seized control of and instituted Shari’a law in five cities in Abyan and Shebwa provinces along the Gulf of Aden.
On March 5, 2012, in a rare visit to the Islamic Emirate of Jaar in Abyan, Ansar al-Shari’a militants described Abu Hamza as “modest” and “one of the people.” The Amir was normally seen mingling amongst the common people, during an interview with the author doing field research in Yemen, but on that particular day he was unavailable for interview due to heightened security concerns. The day before our visit, his mujahidin stormed a Yemeni military garrison outside Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan, killing some one hundred and eighty-five soldiers, taking seventy-three hostages and capturing heavy weaponry [1, 2].
The Amir’s populist leadership style is consistent with statements from AQAP’s ideologue Adel al-Abbab, who said last April in an internet forum that “we have moved our work from the elitist work to the populist” in Abyan [3].
Abu Hamza’s full name is Jalal Mohsen Saleh Baleeedi, but he also goes by the nom de guerre Abu Hamza Al-Zinjibari or “the Amir of Islamic Wilayaha (province) of Abyan” [4]. He hails from the coastal town of Al-Baleeed, located about 70 km east of Zinjibar, and belongs to the al-Maraqisha tribe, one of the biggest in Abyan [5].
Journalists have described the personality of the 30-year-old Amir, who is married with children, as light-hearted but austere. He has “a sense of humor and a big smile that doesn’t leave him and he has the ability to gain the sympathy of others. He carefully observes and is quick-witted (sic) but on the other hand, he has superficial thinking and very much sticks to his opinion despite (his efforts at) showing respect for others opinions. Also he does not hesitate to accuse of treason (those) against him” (Al-Masdar Online, March 20).
In video messages, the young Amir appears confident and articulate in front of crowds. In one video posted by Madad News Agency, the media arm of Ansar Al-Shari’a, Abu Hamza is shown addressing the military hostages captured on March 4, 2011. Flanked by masked soldiers with guns, the bearded commander lectures his captives on religion and America, oscillating smoothly between calm advice and stern command [6].
Those qualities appear to have won Abu Hamza the position of Amir in spring 2011. He is also from the sons of Zinjibar and is said to have been courageous and clever “in the last battle that they were engaged against the [Yemeni] army,” a battle he helped plan and conduct. When asked how he felt about the new position, he said, “it is an assignment not an honor” (Al-Masdar Online, March 20).
Abu Hamza, Ansar al-Shari’a and AQAP
Some reports say Abu Hamza has a “direct connection with the supreme leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) Nassir Al-Wuhayshi” (Al-Masdar Online, March 20), though the exact nature of the connection is unclear. If true, the high-level connection combined with local tribal affiliations would seem to make Abu Hamza a valuable catalyst in carrying out AQAP’s domestic strategy, a primary aim of which is to encourage Yemeni tribes to adopt al-Qaeda’s Islamist ideology.
While Yemeni authorities claim that Ansar Al-Shari’a and AQAP are one in the same, the Amir has responded vaguely to the query. On one occasion, Abu Hamza refused to clarify the relationship, saying “I’m not authorized to answer about what is going outside Abyan, you can only focus on Abyan” [7]. In another interview, he said, “We are Ansar Al-Shari’a, are mujahidin for the sake of Allah. Islam brings us together and we are united by our goal which is supporting the Shari’a and implementing it” [8].
The stance of Ansar Al-Shari’a vis-à-vis the Yemeni Spring’s youth movement has been clear, according to the Amir. “We agree with the youth of the revolution in the goal which is overthrowing the regime but we differ with them in the means,” he said. But “according to Shari’a, we don’t accept elections. Our methodology is known regarding this issue. It is a bigger problem for us from the Shari’a perspective.”
While acknowledging the presence of spies in his organization, the Amir “totally denied” speculation that Ansar Al-Shari’a colludes with either former President Ali Abdullah Saleh or his powerful family members who control much of Yemen’s military, intelligence and security apparatus (Al-Masdar online, March 20).
Conclusion
Despite his young age and relative inexperience as a mujahidin leader, Abu Hamza has proven capable of implementing AQAP’s new political strategy in Yemen. In light of the February 2012 assassination of Tariq al-Dhahab, a tribal strongman and Ansar al-Shari’a leader in the al-Bayda governorate, his leadership skills have become especially crucial to the expanding organization. In a recent interview, the Amir appeared to be looking toward the horizon. “We want to implement the Shari’a of Allah in Abyan and avenge the injustices,” he said. “Our goal is to circulate the Islamic model like the Taliban who did justice and provided security” (Hayat Aden, January 28).
Notes
1. Al-Qaida claims responsibility for Yemen attack; The Associate Press, https://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/al-qaida-claims-responsibility-1376257.html.
2. AQAP and Suspected AQAP Attacks in Yemen Tracker 2010, 2011, and 2012; AEI, criticalthreats.org, https://www.criticalthreats.org/yemen/aqap-and-suspected-aqap-attacks-yemen-tracker-2010.
3. Online Question and Answer Session with Abu Zubayr Adel al-Abab, Shari’a Official for Member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) – 18 April 2011; The International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence, https://icsr.info/news/attachments/1306407042ICSR Abab Translation.pdf.
4. 40 minutes news conference with Al-Qaeda in the province of Abyan; Aden Life,
https://ansar1.info/showthread.php?t=38679.
5. ‘Al-Masdar Online’ visits the Emirate of Ansar Al-Shari’a in Abyan – March 20, 2012; Al-Masdar Online, https://ansar1.info/showthread.php?t=39762.
6. Madad News Agency presents a new newsletter from Anṣār al-Sharī’ah in Yemen: “News Report, Issue #13″; Jihadology.net, https://jihadology.net/2012/03/12/madad-news-agency-presents-a-new-newsletter-from-anṣar-al-shariah-in-yemen-news-report-issue-13”/.
7. The first interview of Abu Hamza Al-Murqoshi Amir of the mujahidin in Zinjibar – January 28, 2012; Hayat Aden, https://theunjustmedia.com/Islamic%20Perspectives/Jan12/First%20interview%20of%20Emir%20of%20AQAP%20Mujahideen%20in%20Zinjibar%20Abu%20Hamza%20Al-Marqashi.htm.
8. Interview of Al-Wasat newspaper with Abu Hamza Al-Murqoshi; Al Wasat, https://issuu.com/khalid57/docs/interview_of_al-wasat_newspaper_with_abu_hamza_al-?mode=window&pageNumber=1.
