The somali jihadi insurgent group al shabaab retains both significant armed capacity and wellhoned and sophisticated media operations warfare capabilities. Al shabaab s members employ mass violence, often suicidal, in order to ensure that eastern africans strictly adhere to islam. Al shabaabs foreign threat to somalia by david shinn david shinn is an adjunct professor in the elliott school of international affairs at george washington university. The focus of this study, however, is the alshabaab attacks in kenya. Information about the iagcis work and a list of the coi documents. Pdf this article sets out to explore the evolution, operational strategy and transnational. Whilst al shabaab may have suffered tactical defeats on the ground in somalia. However, somalia faced continued insecurity and conflict between government forces and an al qaedaaffiliated extremist group, the harakat al shabaab al mujahedeen, known as al shabaab, which splintered off from the former shariah coalition. Somalia attacks signal escalation of alshabaab offensive. The persistence of extremist groups, like alshabaab, remains the greatest immediate threat to somalias stability. While al shabaab lost control of some key towns, it maintains control over large swathes of. Alshabaab and its relationship to alqaeda is a significant concern for the united states and its partners in the region.
The group describes itself as waging jihad against enemies of islam. Department of state, public notice, in the matter of the designation of alshabaab, aka alshabab, aka shabaab, aka the youth, aka mujahidin alshabaab movement, aka mujahideen youth movement, aka mujahidin youthmovement, aka mym, aka harakat shabab almujahidin, aka hizbul shabaab, aka hisbul shabaab, aka alshabaab alislamiya, aka. Country of origin information report on south and central somalia. It is a golden chance for alshabaab to pick itself up off the mat. The ensuing years were marked by governance weakness, interclan war fare, and warlord control over much of somalia.
Conflict and drought force internal displacement, which the ndp recognizes as a cause of. Background report alshabaab attack on westgate mall in kenya. Al itihaad al islamiya aiai was focused on implementing strong sharia law, seizing strategic locations in the country and. The group aims to disrupt national elections planned for. One of the most powerful islamic militant groups in africa, alshabaab exerts talibanlike rule over millions in somalia and poses a growing threat to stability in the horn of africa. This study examines the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency campaign against al shabaab in somalia.
Abstractthis paper examines the funding sources of the terrorist group harakat al shabaab al mujahideen. Forest have determined that al sha baab is aided in its quest by some fundamental realities of somali culture and history. The opening of additional fronts in the gedo and middle and. Using existing research and original interviews, this study outlines al shabaab. Alshabaab originated as a militia affiliated with the islamic courts union icu, a federation of. Background somalia has been at war since 1991, when clanbased warlords overthrew dictator siad barre and then turned on each other. Beginning in 2006, the group waged an insurgency against somalias transitional federal government tfg. Foreign service, including as ambassador to ethiopia and state department coordinator for somalia during the international intervention in. For these gains to be consolidated, the underlying conditions that allow extremist groups to. Millions in somalia are hungry and the world is trying to help but somalias al shabaab rebels are having none of it. The alshabaab almujahidiin a profile of the first somali terrorist organisation by abdisaid m. Like the aiai, alshabaab s goal is to eliminate westernbacked forces operating in somalia, overthrow the westernbacked somali national government, and make somalia an islamic state founded in wahhabi ideals. The icu began as a loose grouping of sharia courts that by 2006 had grown into a powerful islamic militia which enjoyed control over much of southern somalia. Their aim is to replace the unbacked government and impose islamic law.
Somalia s nascent security forces currently lack cohesion, however, and remain underresourced and largely unable to maintain security without amisom support. Alshabaab remained an important player in somalia during the. The al shabaab checkpoint taxation system is applied consistently across southern and central somalia, albeit with variations in rates across regions. Al shabab developed and thrived in large part because of somalia s bleak living conditions. The rise of a jihadi movement in a country at war harakat alshabaab al mujaheddin in somalia roland marchal senior research fellow at cnrs sciencespo paris march 2011 this report is independent and does not represent the views of her majestys government. Alshabaab in somalia exploited aid agencies during 2011. Both countries have a long border with somalia that is difficult to control. Somalia al shabaab areasinsouthern somalia 21052019final. Alshabaab and somalias spreading famine council on. Somalias militant group, alshabaab, has often defied its adversaries claims that it is in decline. The organisation known as al shabaab originally emerged from the islamic courts union icu movement in somalia.
One of the most powerful islamic groups in africa with connections to al qaeda. Pdf on apr 4, 2014, james forest and others published countering the al shabaab insurgency in somalia. Third, we outline the security vulnerabilities in the areas of somalia where al shebab operates. The roots of alshabaab lie with al itihaad al islamiya aiai, a militant group of somali wahhabis active during the 1980s and 1990s. Countering alshabaab propaganda and recruitment mechanisms in south central somalia preface empowered communities play a key role in challenging, delegitimizing and reducing support for extremist groups such as alshabaab. Since 2012, al shabaab has successively lost control over major towns in south and central somalia to the allied international and national forces, and withdrawn to rural areas, from where it. Al shabaabs american recruits antidefamation league. Al shabaab is reported to have several hundred foreign jihadists fighting alongside its somali rank and file, according to security sources in the horn of africa. Operating from the failed state of somalia, the al qaida affiliated group has been behind several attacks in the region, particularly in the past 5 years. The harakat shabaab al mujahidincommonly known as al shabaab was the militant wing of the somali council of islamic courts that took over most of southern somalia in the second half of 2006.
Somali, us forces engage al shabaab insurgents defenceweb. Somalia, joined amisom and reintroduced ethiopian forces in the fight against al shabaab. The history of alshabaab south african history online. Draws on interviews from former al shabaab militants and commanders, us relations to the group and the 2006 us invasion of somalia.
Alshabaab began as the armed wing of the islamic courts union icu, which later splintered into several smaller factions after its defeat in 2006 by somalias transitional federal government tfg and the tfgs ethiopian military allies. Somalia to train with al shabaab prior to the attack. Since the march attack, aqap has increased its notoriety worldwide by conducting multiple high profile attacks, including the attempted assassination of saudi prince mohammed bin nayef in august 2009 and the failed plot to blow up northwest flight 253 on december 25, 2009. Alshabab, or the youth, is an islamist insurgent group based in somalia. Al shabaab in somalia and kenya africa analysis press by acled 15 january 2020 on 28 december 2019, a truck bomb exploded in the somali capital city of. Mission in somalia amisom, will assist in restricting the operations of the group by curtailing access to the wide range of both internal and external funding sources which al shabaab currently enjoys. The tfg argues that al shabaab s extremist ideology, which it describes as new and dangerous, has profound negative consequences for the region. By mid 2010 al shabaab controlled vast parts of central and southern somalia and started to build administrative structures.
The somali terrorist group, al shabaab has been waging a campaign of violence in somalia for more than a decade. With sustained military pressure from the tfg national security force and amisom, alshabaabs hold on mogadishu has decreased. It once held sway over the capital of mogadishu and large portions of the somali countryside, but in. It concludes that, while al shabaab was weakened between 2011 and 2016, it could resurge if urgent steps are not taken to address key challenges.
Al shabaab kept united, first and foremost, because the new tfg has not increased its legitimacy and still subsists thanks to the foreign armed presence. The focus of this study, however, is the al shabaab attacks in kenya. How somalias al shabab grew into a global terror threat. Background report al shabaab attack on garissa university in kenya on thursday, april 2, gunmen attacked garissa university in eastern kenya, near the border with somalia. Nov 14, 2018 in the meantime, however, somalia is often considered to be the poorest, least developed, and most collapsed and corrupt country in the world, and critically dependent on foreign aid.
Aqam futures project case study series july 2011 project. The ideology of alshabaab 8 the history of islamism and jihadism in somalia 9 social control mechanisms applied by alshabaab 14 tactical culture 19 the al qaeda affiliation 22 foreign fighters in somalia 26 foreign fighters 19922006 26 noneuropean foreign fighters in alshabaab 31. Moreover, due to western policies towards somalia and al shabaab, there is no political space for dissidents. Achieving lasting peace and stability in somalia requires the support and engagement of. The number of attacks attributed to al shabaab has increased rapidly from less than 10 in 2007 to more than 200 in 2012. Americans began traveling to somalia to join al shabaab. In east africa, alshabaab is the biggest threat to the security of the region.
Ethiopia, a part of the anti shabaab coalition, is somalia s ancient. This report documents alshabaabs targeting of children for recruitment as soldiers. Shabaab, and there have been frequent salutary references to al qaeda and other jihadi groups. Pdf countering the alshabaab insurgency in somalia. Abstractthis paper examines the funding sources of the terrorist group harakat alshabaab almujahideen. Radicalisation and alshabaab recruitment in somalia. Countering alshabaab propaganda and recruitment mechanisms. A key aspect of al shabaab s media insurgency is its psyops psychological operations messaging, targeting both rankand file enemy soldiers as well as the domestic electorates in enemy countries, including the united states. Ethiopia, a part of the antishabaab coalition, is somalias ancient. This ultimately damages the groups morale and combat effectiveness, while also. This report briefly examines al shabaab aka harakat shabaab al mujahidin, or mujahidin youth movement which is an insurgent and terrorist group that evolved out of a militant wing of somalia s council of islamic courts in the mid2000s. Feb 29, 2016 somalia attacks signal escalation of al shabaab offensive. Background report alshabaab attack on westgate mall.
Al shabaab militants in somalia established a highly sophisticated system to monitor and squeeze money out of aid agencies before and during the 2011 famine that killed almost 260,000 people. Downbutnotout hspiissue%brief%22 august27,%20 navan. The history and ideology of a militant islamist group, explored the history. The hidden us war in somalia amnesty international usa. The ideology of al shabaab 8 the history of islamism and jihadism in somalia 9 social control mechanisms applied by al shabaab 14 tactical culture 19 the al qaeda affiliation 22 foreign fighters in somalia 26 foreign fighters 19922006 26 noneuropean foreign fighters in al shabaab 31. Al shabaab s history with humanitarian assistance katherine zimmerman the united nations recently declared that there is a famine in lower shabelle and bakool regions and nearfamine conditions throughout southern somalia. It also noted that al shabaab s continued control of. Understanding former combatants from the baidoa reintegration center preface a key pillar of a comprehensive approach to counter al shabaab is to deny the group new recruits and to encourage defections. Department of state, public notice, in the matter of the designation of al shabaab, aka al shabab, aka shabaab, aka the youth, aka mujahidin al shabaab movement, aka mujahideen youth movement, aka mujahidin youthmovement, aka mym, aka harakat shabab al mujahidin, aka hizbul shabaab, aka hisbul shabaab, aka al shabaab al islamiya, aka. A wealth of sources including us diplomatic cables released by wikileaks, letters taken from the pakistani hideout of osama bin laden, case files from the prosecution of american al shabaab members, emails from hillary clintons tenure as secretary of state, and al shabaab s own statements and recruiting videos inform maruf and josephs. Yet, al shabaab has neither lost territory nor suffered.
Over 95 % of its leadership and rank and file are from the central regions. The group, also known as harakat al shabab al mujahideen, and its islamist affiliates once held sway over. Conflict worsens the impact of the drought by depleting family assets, disrupting traditional coping mechanisms, including migration, and impeding humanitarian access. Political and security gains over the last couple of years have resulted in modest progress against alshabaab influence in somalia. Despite the groups defeat by somali and ethiopian forces in 2007, al shabaab a clanbased insurgent and. Somalia include the somali national army sna and the forces of the united nationsmandated african union mission in somalia amisom. Alshabaab it will be a long war crisis group africa briefing n99, 26 june 2014 page 4 in areas they have liberated. The purpose of this research project is to investigate the changing nature of the jihad in somalia, specifically the increasing internationalization of this conflict. Somalias growing famine partly stems from a global failure to act on warning signs, but its exacerbated by militant group alshabaab, factions of. The attackers killed 147 and injured 79 before detonating suicide vests when cornered by security forces. An internet search provides many documents whether genuine or not on the. Al shabaabs history with humanitarian assistance critical. Al shabaab validated themselves as a serious threat to people in the horn of africa through the brazen attack on the upmarket westgate mall.
In east africa, al shabaab is the biggest threat to the security of the region. Time for gender sensitive and protectionfocused approaches, june 2018. Learn about al shabab, the al qaeda affiliate with continued influence in somalia, and track the latest developments in the country using cfrs global conflict tracker. Al shabab, or the youth, is an al qaedalinked militant group and u. The federal government of somalia fgs had limited control outside its capital city, mogadishu. What is missing from the book, however, is female voices. This civil war led to the collapse of the rule of law and governance structures. Countering al shabaab propaganda and recruitment mechanisms in south central somalia b.
Second, we explain the evolution of the group by phases, from its origins to the present day. Country policy and information note somalia south and. It is a golden chance for al shabaab to pick itself up off the mat. Moreover, they share factors such as a large somali minority. Alshabaab and a few other islamic extremists in somalia including the icu have their roots in the former alitihad alislamiya which also evolved from somalia s religious organization, the alsalafiya aljadiid. Al shabaab since it splintered from the islamic courts union icu in 2007, al shabaab has carried out nearly 550 terrorist attacks, killing more than 1,600 and wounding more than 2,100.
A wealth of sources including us diplomatic cables released by wikileaks, letters taken from the pakistani hideout of osama bin laden, case files from the prosecution of american alshabaab members, emails from hillary clintons tenure as secretary of state, and alshabaabs own statements and recruiting videos inform maruf and josephs. Pdf on apr 4, 2014, james forest and others published countering the alshabaab insurgency in somalia. The command also conducted an airstrike targeting an al shabaab terrorist in the vicinity of jamaame, somalia. February, 2015 a wave of americans traveling to somalia to fight with al shabaab, an al qaedalinked terrorist group, was described by the fbi as one of the highest priorities in antiterrorism. Background report alshabaab attack on garissa university in. Alshabaab and taliban views of aid agencies 1 this policy brief is based largely on interviews with members of the taliban and al shabaab, aidrecipients and workers in afghanistan and somalia conducted in 2012 and 20. In recent months, however, the movement has suffered setbacks, including territorial losses, highranking commanders killed and defections. Al shabaab was originally formed from the al itihaad al islamiya group, which emerged in the post regime change in the nineties. Al shebab has demonstrated some ability to mount deadly crossborder operations, such as the september 21, 20 attack on the upscale westgate mall in. Calling for an expulsion of the ethiopians and the formation of an islamic state in somalia, al shabaab rallied considerable. Somalias alshabaab down but far from out crisis group.
Al shabaab s domestic revenue generation apparatus is more geographically diversified and systematic than that of the federal government or the federal member states. After a fourday standoff, kenyan officials indicated that the site of the attack was secured by armed forces on tuesday evening, sept. Using existing research and original interviews, this study outlines alshabaabs history an. While al shabaab lost control of some key towns, it maintains control over large swathes of territory, and many key transport routes. Forest have determined that alsha baab is aided in its quest by some fundamental realities of somali culture and history. Assessing the consequences of the failed state of somalia. Al shabaab feeds off these tensions and exploits vulnerabilities. Al shabaab aimed to build an islamic state by using violence against the somali government, its in. Ali the institutional structure the alshabaab almujahidiin is an offshoot of somalias recent islamic courts union which evolved from a grassroots community driven islamic jihad movement inspired by. Alshabaab is a movement that merged four somali groups and has been. Although peace negotiations led to the inclusion of moderate islamist forces into the tfg, al shabaab continued its fight. Alshabaab and a few other islamic extremists in somalia including the icu have their roots in the former alitihad alislamiya which also evolved from somalia s religious organization, the alsalafiya aljadiid in the early 1970s.
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