Nairobi:
Will the allure of a $5 million reward be the downfall of a tweeting, rapping American jihadi who once fought alongside the Somali militant group al-Shabab but now denounces their methods and motivations in online feuds?
A US State Department official said on Thursday that the $5 million reward offered for Omar Hammami could exploit what are believed to be fault lines between Somali groups that may be for and against Hammami. The Alabama-born American was once high in the ranks of al-Shabab but has since had a falling out with the group's leader.
The US announced on Wednesday the $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Hammami and another $5 million reward for a second American fighting in Somalia, Jehad Mostafa.