Sabahi (Washington, DC)

Somalia: Al-Shabaab Returns to Twitter With New Account

4 February 2013

Al-Shabaab militants have returned to Twitter with a new account, less than two weeks since they were suspended after threatening to execute Kenyan hostages and posting grim photographs of a French commando they had killed.

"For what it's worth, shooting the messenger & suppressing the truth by silencing your opponents isn't quite the way to win the war of ideas!" al-Shabaab posted on Twitter on Sunday (February 3rd).

Al-Shabaab officials on Monday confirmed that the account, @HSMPRESS1, was genuine, AFP reported.

Twitter warns that accounts can be suspended if they violate its rules, which include the publishing of "direct, specific threats of violence against others", according to regulations posted on its website.

Users are also blocked if they use Twitter "for any unlawful purposes or in furtherance of illegal activities".

Al-Shabaab's previous English-language account had more than 20,000 followers.

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