New Shebab leader labels Turkey Somalia’s ‘enemy’

France shuts consulate in Ankara

MOGADISHU, July 13, (AFP): The leader of Somalia’s Shebab jihadist group Ahmed Diriye described Turkey as “the enemy of the nation” and accused foreign peacekeeping forces of plundering the country, in an audio message published Tuesday.

In his first such message since taking control of the alQaeda affiliate following the death of his predecessor in a US drone strike in September 2014, Diriye said Turkish interests in the country were “looting Somali resources more than they help”.

The group is fighting to overthrow Somalia’s internationally-backed government and regularly claims attacks in the capital Mogadishu and elsewhere in the country.

In the 44-minute recorded message published on social networking sites and broadcast by a Shebab radio station, Diriye also accused foreign peacekeeping forces of widespread human rights violations against Somali civilians including rape.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Mogadishu in June, inking several development deals and opening “one of the largest Turkish embassies in the world”.

Meanwhile, France on Wednesday said it had closed its embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara and the consulate in Istanbul until further notice for security reasons after cancelling events to mark the July 14 Bastille Day holiday.

“The Embassy of France in Ankara, as well as the Consulate General in Istanbul will be closed from Wednesday July 13, 1:00 pm (1000 GMT), until further notice,” the embassy said in a statement after scrapping the July 14 receptions at the missions on security grounds.