The Misunderstood Insurgency? Al Shabaab

Killed 67 on World Peace DayThe smoke billowing from the Westgate shopping mall may have subsided but the scars of the attack will be permanent, the wounds difficult to heal. The al Shabaab insurgency has claimed responsibility for the attack which coincided with the World Peace Day killing 67. For us to confront them, a cogent analysis is primordial. So far, the literature on the group represents an axiomatic view that al Shabab is a Somalia based insurgency with links to al Qaeda Central Command (AQC) pusuing to establish an Islamic government in Somalia and remove foreign forces. What if the foreign forces leave Somalia tomorrow and an Islamic government is established in Somalia? Will al Shabab disband and stop their violent ways? Probably not. Al-shabab will invent new grievances and continue what they know best: violence. Image: 2013 People come out from hiding under a car next to bodies as police search for gunmen in a shopping centre in Nairobi.…

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Commissioned, proprietary analysis of key components of terrorist activities and groups, such as “Recruiting Female Suicide Bombers”, written by experts worldwide.

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About the Contributor

Abdi Mohamed

Abdi Noor Mohamed is a Deputy County Commissioner in the government of Kenya. He holds an MA in Peace and Reconciliation Studies from Coventry University and an MA in International Security from the...