After Somalia’s Al Shabaab Twitter account was shut down, a new account has sprung up under the same name, though the Tweets have been toned down.
The first such account is @HSMPress_ with close to 1050 followers and discussing current issues from the pope’s election to politics.
2 days after rigged referendum was orchestrated in the #Falklands, the Vatican responded by electing an Argentinean as a Pope. #politics
— HSM Press Office (@HSMPress_) March 14, 2013
The account, which follows no other accounts, seems to be operated from Kenya, having confirmed that to one follower.
@collohlags I live in Kenya.
— HSM Press Office (@HSMPress_) March 12, 2013
Although the account has avoided the original account’s tendencies, they are likely to be
targeted by the Kenyan government after they sent Tweets to the incoming first lady, Margaret Kenyatta.
@m_kenyatta Alshabab will call your husband @ 3:00AM. Don’t worry, the first call is often a conciliatory. #kenyadecides
— HSM Press Office (@HSMPress_) March 9, 2013
The account holder seems free to discuss social issues, and has a sense of humour, differentiating itself from the terrifying threats issued by Al Shabaab in the past.
Alshabab has 5 Kenyan hostages; #IEBC has 41 million Kenyans as hostages. #kenyadecides
— HSM Press Office (@HSMPress_) March 8, 2013
Unlike the Mungiki leader Uhuru, Alshabab leader has never been charged with any crime by the international Criminal Court. #kenyadecides
— HSM Press Office (@HSMPress_) March 8, 2013
Apart from this account a number of others that could have relations to the militia seem to have sprung up and continue to spread the same kind of information that led to the original account shut down.These include: @HSMPRESS1, @HSMPress_arabic and @HSMPress_somali and it will be curious to see how Twitter will deal with the new accounts.
