Al - Shabaab chief Mukhtar Abu Zubayr has a reputation for being secretive , merciless . The loss of the port city of Kismayo , the source of much of Al-Shabaab 's income , weakened arguments that the group had too much to lose by embracing al Qaeda 's global jihad . Zubayr , however , wants his group to be able to deliver devastating results beyond Somalia . Last year , he formally declared al - Qaeda an affiliate of al Qaeda . Zubayr 's harsh tactics have led to unrest in his group , which he has ruthlessly suppressed .
Al - Shabaab chief Mukhtar Abu Zubayr has a reputation for being secretive , merciless . Zubayr , however , wants his group to be able to deliver devastating results beyond Somalia . Last year , he formally declared al - Qaeda an affiliate of al Qaeda . Zubayr 's harsh tactics have led to unrest in his group , which he has ruthlessly suppressed .