Al-Qaeda’s new release fails to answer questions about al-Zawahiri

Nahla Abdelmonem

As-Sahab, the media arm of al-Qaeda, has recently run a video by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri titled “Rohingya people, the deep wound of the whole nation”.

As-Sahab alerted its followers to the publication of the video only hours earlier.

However, the video, published in mid-March, does not offer any clues to whether al-Zawahiri is still alive.

Al-Qaeda has apparently used the military coup that took place in Myanmar and the suffering of the Rohingya People in that African country to put together audios of al-Zawahiri and make a video.

However, this is also casting doubt on previous reports about al-Zawahiri’s death.

Some people also considered the new video an attempt by al-Qaeda to protect its unity and preserve its fighters at a time it is ordering its house from the inside.

Increasing doubts

Those following the page of As-Sahab expected the new video to come in response to reports about al-Zawahiri’s death.

Nevertheless, the al-Qaeda leader does not appear in the video. A voice over of al-Zawhiri is only made along with different scenes. The video is only 21 minutes long.

Al-Zawhiri does not talk specifically about the problems facing Rohingya People, but speaks about the crisis in Myanmar in general terms.

The al-Qaeda leader refers in the video to the support given by western countries to the government of Myanmar.

He does not mention the latest coup that took place in the Asian country.