The “Scandinavian Fighter” in al-Shabaab: Fu’ad Muhammad Khalaf

The “Scandinavian Fighter” in al-Shabaab: Fu’ad Muhammad Khalaf

Somali-Swedish militant Fu’ad Muhammad Khalaf (a.k.a. Shongole, the “Scandinavian fighter”) is one of the leaders of al-Shabaab. Apart from being a key figure of the movement, Khalaf is known for openly challenging the authority of Ahmad Abdi Godane. 

Background 

Khalaf was reportedly born in 1965 and fled Somalia in 1992 shortly after the collapse of Si’ad Barre regime and the eruption of the Somali civil war (Metro [Stockholm], April 16, 2007). [1] Khalaf sought asylum in Sweden where he received citizenship and resided for 12 years (Somalia Report, April 5, 2011). Khalaf was an imam at a mosque in Rinkeby, a suburb of Stockholm, where he preached to young people about jihad. Rinkeby is well known for its Somali diaspora. Nearly 90 percent of the district’s population consists of first or second-generation immigrants, many of whom are Somali, thus giving Rinkeby the nickname of “Little Mogadishu” (Stockholm News, July 27, 2009; Nordstjernan, January 30, 2010). Riots and clashes between youth and police frequently occur in Rinkeby (Financial Times, May 24). 

Whether Khalaf was radicalized before or after he sought asylum in Sweden is unverifiable. What is certain is that Khalaf promoted jihad among young Muslims as an imam in Rinkeby and he returned to Somalia in 2004. In Somalia, Khalaf joined the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in the war against the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and Ethiopian forces operating in Somalia. Following the conquest of Mogadishu in 2007, Khalaf served at the Department of Education under the new ICU government. In that position, he stressed the need to teach students military tactics for the purpose of defending Somalia and opened training camps in Mogadishu for students during school vacations. [2] 

Over the years, he has been accused of facilitating financial support to al-Shabaab and carrying out several terrorist attacks. In April 2010, Khalaf was designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury under Executive Order 13536 for contributing to the violence and the deterioration of security in Somalia; in June 2012, the U.S. State Department announced a $5 million award for information leading to the capture of Khalaf. [3] Khalaf mocked the bounty saying, “Anyone who helps the mujahideen find the whereabouts of Obama and Hillary Clinton will be rewarded with ten camels for the information leading to Obama and ten hens and ten cocks for Hillary” (Daily Mail, June 12, 2012). 

Khalaf and His Troubled Relations with Godane 

Al-Shabaab has been progressively weakened by internal divides between its leaders who cannot come to an agreement on the group’s ideology or alignment with al-Qaeda. The late Abu Mansur al-Amriki, who was killed by al-Shabaab gunmen, explained in an interview that Godane was “the cause of the problem” because he “left the principles of our religion and he is trying to change al-Shabaab into an organization that oppresses every single Muslim.” Al-Amriki said Godane “wants to be the leader of Somalia regardless of whether he is ruled by Shari’a or by any other laws. Basically he has lost the entire principles of what we began jihad for” (Voice of America, September 12). 

Like al-Amriki, Khalaf expressed his disagreement with Godane’s choices and subsequently an attack was launched in May 2010 at Abdalla Shideye mosque in Bakara Market, an open market in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, where Khalaf was preaching (Reuters, May 1, 2010). Khalaf was wounded in the attack. Initial claims said the attack was carried out by American mercenaries operating in Somalia (Garowe Online, May 1, 2010). However, rumors circulated that the attack may have been an assassination attempt by Hizb al-Islam fighters operating in the same area. Other rumors suggested that Godane and his fellow fighters may have been behind this attack. The latter rumor is more likely to be true, considering Khalaf supported the merging of al-Shabaab with Hizb al-Islam, a move opposed by Godane. 

Khalaf openly challenged Godane in December 2010 after al-Shabaab militants attacked Hizb al-Islam and seized Burhakaba, located in the Bay region northwest of Mogadishu. Khalaf condemned the clash as being haram (sinful) because Muslims killed another Muslim. From his stronghold in Mogadishu’s Bakara Market, Khalaf gave a public address stating that Godane had “hidden agendas” and criticized his attitude to divisions: “A leader is he who addresses his people and leads his people towards all good things, but fighting everyone is not part of the solution” (Garowe Online, Dec 18, 2010). 

Outlook 

The attack at Westgate Mall in Kenya in September reminded the world of the Somali diaspora in Sweden (for the Westgate attack, see Jamestown Foundation Hot Issue, September 24). The transformation of first and second-generation immigrants to Europe to jihadist fighters is an issue of growing concern. Khalaf is one of the most important jihadist fighters fitting this category. Khalaf is a committed jihadist; however, he has recurrent frictions with other members of his group. The troubled relationship with Godane, al-Shabaab’s leader, reveals a much wider problem within the movement: the existence of factions and bitter divisions among its main leaders, despite recent attempts to boost the unity of the group. 

Dario Cristiani is a PhD Candidate in Middle East and Mediterranean Studies at King’s College London. Previously, he has been a teaching fellow in Political Science and Comparative Politics at the University of Naples “L’Orientale” and a political analyst with the Power and Interest News Report (PINR). 

Notes 

1. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 31, Money and Finance: Treasury, Revised as of July 1, 2011, p.339.

2. Sunguta West, “Somalia’s ICU Declares Holy War on Ethiopia,” Terrorism Focus, October 17, 2006.

3. “Somali Sanctions: information on Persons Listed in the Annex to E.O. 13536 of April 12, 2010,” Office of Foreign Assets Control, September 22, 2010, www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/eo13536_pr.pdf; “Rewards for Justice – al-Shabaab leaders Reward Offers,” U.S. Department of State, June 7, 2012, www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/06/191914.htm.