Abubakar Shekau and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: What unites the Islamic extremist Boko Haram and Isis leaders?

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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/abubakar-shekau-and-abu-bakr-albaghdadi-what-unites-the-islamic-extremist-boko-haram-and-isis-leaders-10095802.html

Despite the fact their terrorist networks dominate the headlines, little is known about either man. It's no surprise that it's a passionate hatred of Western values that has united the two leaders from the Middle East and West Africa, but Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau and Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi also have a thirst for fame and an abundance of death rumours in common.

Death rumours

Boko Haram leader Shekau is said to have been killed by Nigerian and Cameroonian forces several times, and it was widely rumoured that Isis' Baghdadi was dead at the end of 2014. However, both seem to be alive and well.

Shekau is thought to use several body doubles, perhaps explaining why the army were so confident he was dead. His last reported killing was in September 2014, but a video obtained by Agence Presse-France appeared to show Shekau gloating: "Here I am, alive... I will only die the day Allah takes my breath."

However, some experts believe there are several men posing as Shekau. The Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium (Trac) believe that there are discrepancies between Shekau from video to video. "Even though the mannerisms and facial hair are similar in each of the videos below, in some cases he appears much heavier or much darker in skin color, and the posturing is very different between each man," it found.

In November 2014, it was similarly reported by Iraqi media that Baghdadi had been killed or severely injured in a US-led airstrike. Even British forces were unsure, with General Nicholas Houghton, Chief of Defence Staff of the British Armed Forces telling the Daily Mail: "I can't absolutely confirm that Baghdadi has been killed. Probably it will take some days to have absolute confirmation."

Both leaders have reveled in their status as "indestructible", with Isis emphasising that the death of a leader didn't mean the end of the regime.

A Twitter account linked to Isis spokesperson Abu Mohammed al-Adnani said: "Do you believe that the caliphate will end by the martyrdom of the caliph? We reassure the nation that its emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is fine, thanks be to Allah. Pray for his speedy recovery."