Al Qaeda links with the Rohingya terror group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army(ARSA)

 


On 23 June 2022, Abu Zar Al Burmi, an Al Qaeda (AQ) Rohingya leader called upon Rohingyas globally to showcase their support for the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). However it should be noted that ARSA under the leadership of Ata Ullah abu Ammar Jununi has always claimed to be neutral and fighting for a nationalist cause. ARSA was also condemned by Rohingya Islamic State(IS) affiliate  Katiba al-Mahdi fi Bilad al-Arakan(KMBA) for not being Islamic. With the statement by Abu Zar, could this be a new development in the Rohingya jihadi scene as international terrorist groups seek to gain influence amongst the Rohingya diaspora?

Abu Zar resurfaced in Afghanistan after the return of the Taliban in August 2021 and has been active on social media with several statements and videos. He has been known to have links with  Pakistan based Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) where he held the position of Mufti.

 In a regional context, there could be alarming consequences because for instance in Southeast Asia, there are approximately two hundred thousand Rohingyas in Malaysia and five thousand in Thailand. AQ and IS will be seeking to recruit the Rohingyas amongst their ranks and for now, AQ seems to have the upper hand as there is a visible Rohingya leader who is known to the Rohingyas and is able to communicate with them via social media. In the case of IS, other than a couple of KMBA magazines online, they have been rather silent.

For ARSA, it would be a major change for them to transform from a nationalist group to group which is religiously motivated. Moving forward it would be important to see if Ata Ullah takes an oath of allegiance to Al Qaeda and how Rohingyas respond to showcase their support. 

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