20100105
africanews

Somali radical group Al-Shabaab announced on Monday the national flag of the country has been changed from blue to black - the official colour of the insurgents.
al-shabaab flag
Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali Abu Mansour, senior official of Al-Shabaab said the black flag would be the only flag to be raised all over the nation, and added the flag stand for Islam.

The leader said they will not accept any other flag "than the black with the Towhid - No God but Allah - on it" adding "This flag is the Islamic one and it’s not imposed by UN or other countries like US.”

Last month Somali displaced people at Elsha Biyaha, 15 Km (9 miles) southwest of the war-torn and lawless capital Mogadishu, clashed with the insurgents after the group arrested a headmaster who raised a Somali flag over his school.

They stormed the Ibnu Kuzeima Secondary School at Elsha and replaced the blue Somali flag with a black Islamist one.

Al Qaeda Group and its allies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries use the black flag and argue that it belongs to Muslims but Somalis find it easy to accept that fact, AfricaNews reporter said.

Sheikh Abu Mansour pledged loyalty to Al-Qaeda and declared last Monday that they will send forces to Yemen to help Al Qaeda fight the Yemen military forces.

Abu Mansour said “We tell our Muslim brothers in Yemen that we will cross the waters between Yemen and Somalia to reach your place to assist you fight the enemy of Allah.” He added "Inshallah we shall win over America".

Western countries already warned that Somalia is becoming a haven for international terrorists.

Somalia has not had an effective government since warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.