Al Shabaab’s official spokesman, Ali Rage (Ali Dheere), has issued a direct death threat against Somalia’s new Religious Affairs Minister, Mukhtar Roobow, calling him an apostate whose “blood is permissible.” The statement marks the group’s first public reaction to Roobow’s appointment as Somalia’s countering violent extremism chief and signals growing tension between the Somali government and the militant group. In a ten‑minute Facebook video styled like a mosque sermon, Ali Dheere justified the threat with theological arguments, accused Roobow of treachery, and rejected any possibility of talks with the government. His remarks reveal both internal Al Shabaab rivalries and the group’s determination to block reconciliation efforts. Analysts suggest Dheere is bolstering his leadership credentials within the movement by taking a hardline stance against Roobow. The address sheds rare light on Al Shabaab’s mindset, portraying negotiations as betrayal and framing Roobow’s defection as proof of apostasy. It also underscores the group’s fear that Roobow’s government role could undermine its ideological influence. The Hassan Sheikh administration views Roobow as uniquely positioned to counter extremist narratives, but this public threat highlights the volatile intersection of Somalia’s security, politics, and ideology.