The reemergence of alshabaab was helped in no small part by the continuing ethiopian occupation of somalia, which created a fertile environment for recruitment to the alshabaab membership. The arabic translation of alshabaab is the youth, which relates to the group well since it is largely comprised of. 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 recent attacks in kenya have affected the country in many ways. The once ragtag somaliabased al qaeda affiliate group known as alshabaab has grown into an economic powerhouse, raising tens of millions of dollars in cash every year from a variety of. Alshabaab events in history timeline timetoast timelines. Al shabaab has been designated as a terrorist organization by australia, canada, norway, sweden, the united kingdom and the usa. Analyzed here are the ideologies of these two infamous organizations.
According to the national counterterrorism center, the. A kenyan army spokesperson also said that 20 alshabaab fighters had defected. A brave attempt to both historicize and scrutinize alshabaab, it is a mustread for. Two kenyans executed in public by al shabaab terrorists in bula fulay village along the bay region of somalia for allegedly working for antiterrorism spies from kenya. Kenyan military claims that it had killed 60 alshabaab fighters with an air strike. Together with alshabaab, the two groups account for a substantial amount of carnage on the african continent. The history and ideology of a militant islamist group, 20052012 article pdf available in african affairs april 2014 with 167 reads how we measure reads. On january 2010, alshabaab expressed its support for alqaeda in the arabian peninsula. The al shabaab variously spelled shabab and shebaab terrorist group, an al qaedaaffiliated organization with roots in somalia, attacked shoppers in a nairobi, kenya mall this weekend. The majority of the attacks in kenya have either come from al qaedas and al shabaab s presence in kenya. Alshabaab, the al qaedaaligned militia in somalia, is experiencing some of the most successful months of its recent history. The group has experienced two dramatic transformations in its short.
Alshabaabs composition is multiethnic, with its leadership positions mainly occupied by afghanistan and iraqtrained ethnic somalis and foreigners. Aqam futures project case study series july 2011 project. Alqaeda and alshabaab have had a partnership for years, with alshabaabs former leader declaring allegiance to alqaeda in 2012. 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. Alshabaab and boko haram ebook by john maszka author. Its a great introduction for those new to the topic, but its also a landmark work and absolutely required reading for those who study and work to counter terrorism. Marka has signalled the death knell for al shabaabs domestic territorial integrity.
Inside al shabaab is the definitive history of the somali militant group, rich with newly disclosed details about the groups genesis and its ties to al qaeda. Shaul shay research fellow, ict june 2014 the views expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect. On june 8th, alshabaab fighters attacked a military base in puntland, a semiautonomous region in somalia. The alshabaab terrorist organisation are largely thought to be behind these last two attacks and were thus the main focal point of this discussion. Al shabaab center for strategic and international studies. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading alshabaab in somalia. The history of alshabaab south african history online. This book reveals insights ive never seen during my 15 years in counterterrorisman excellent work. Ethiopia invades somalia in fight against alshabab in december, ethiopian troops seized the city of beledweyne, in western somalia, from terrorist group alshabab.
Alshabaab fighters at a somali training camp, in an image taken from a video released by the group in 2009. While alshabaab lost control of some key towns, it maintains control over large swathes of territory, and many key transport routes. While at the beginning white foreign jihadists were present. The focus of this study, however, is the al shabaab attacks in kenya. The number of attacks attributed to alshabaab has increased rapidly from less than 10 in. This study examines four periods in recent somali history. The jihadist group claims to have killed 61 in the assault though somali officials put. The murder of lee rigby five years ago ushered in a wave of easy extremist violence. Firstly, tourism, which is one of kenya s major revenue earners, has been adversely affected. An offshoot of the islamic courts union, the organization seeks to impose sharia law across. The group has experienced two dramatic transformations in.
Alshabaab terrorists propaganda and the kenya government. The next day, al shabaab followed up the violence with the beheading of nine civilians in the little village of jima on the mainland, a gruesome tactic that surprised even the locals, who have. The history and ideology of a militant islamist group kindle edition by hansen, stig jarle. Clinton watts, senior fellow, foreign policy research institute inside al shabaab is the definitive history of the somali militant group, rich with newly disclosed details about the groups genesis and its ties to al qaeda. Al shabaab is an al qaedaaffiliated organization that has risen rapidly to prominence in the midst of somalias decadeslong anarchy.
Somalia attacks signal escalation of alshabaab offensive jihadi group aims to distrupt elections, undermine confidence in international peacekeepers and bring down westernbacked. Ethiopia invades somalia in fight against alshabab. The history and ideology of a militant islamist group, 20052012 stig jarle hansen on. Alshabaab continued to extend the area under its control in 2009, banning behaviours that it deemed unislamic and implementing punishments including beheading, stoning, and. Until recently, many had been tempted to suggest that the. Modern history of al shabaab while much of the icus leadership quickly fled the advancing ethiopians, members of al shabaab instead retreated into the swampy south of the country, from where they launched a bloody guerilla campaign against the ethiopian military in somalia. This article contains a timeline of events for the somali militant group alshabaab. The government of canada lists alshabaab as a terrorist group, saying. Somalia attacks signal escalation of alshabaab offensive. Alshabaab is an extremist militant islamic group that is centralized in somalia. Shabaab and ugandas lords resistance army iss paper 229 december 2011 in particular, is said to be neither unitary nor very cohesive, and at lower levels it functions largely. June 15, 2006alshabaab leader aden hashi farah eyrow, was said to have taken arms sent from eritrea see page. Kenya steps up the war against al shabaab before its elections. Radicalisation and alshabaab recruitment in somalia.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Harakat al shabaab is somalias infamous though underresearched militant islamist group. Roland marchal senior research fellow at cnrs sciencespo. Alshababs ideology is typically described as a brand of salafism and wahhabism that supports takfir, the excommunication of apostates or unbelievers.
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