Challenges posed by Al Shabaab

Somalia, an East African country, has struggled without a formal government since early 90s. The existence of an illegitimate government in Somalia bred lawlessness, allowing extremist groups to emerge and take over large parts of the country. Today, neighboring countries, especially Kenya face the challenges posed by Al Shabaab, one of the leading militant groups in the region. The group controls a large part of rural Somalia and remains an ally of Al Qaeda since 2012. Al Shabaab has about 9,000 combatants under the command of Ahmed Umar also known as Abu Ubaidah. Umar rose to the helm of the militant group following the death of its leader Ahmed Abdi Godane in 2014 in a U.S led air strike in Mogadishu. The group remains a security threat in the region, having carried out a series of deadly attacks on Kenya in recent years.

A discussion on the challenges posed by Al Shabaab

Al Shabaab represents a global vision for jihadists. It holds that Somalia needs religious governance to overcome its current ills. In an effort to show that Sharia was equitable, Al Shabaab insists on following Islamic Law to the letter, executing those who go against its spirit. Because of its recent violent attacks meted on East African countries, Al Shabaab has gained prominence, dwarfing other militia groups in the region. The challenges posed by Al Shabaab are immense in terms of security, with neighboring states like Kenya ever grappling to find an antidote to neutralize the threats.

Al Shabaab poses a range of challenges. For example, because of its militia and guerilla operations in Somalia and in the region, it poses physical threat and destruction. Hardly does a month elapse without the outfit launching attacks in Mogadishu. This disrupts the normal lives of Somalis as many live in fear not knowing when and where the enemy will hit. Besides this physical threat, Al Shabaab affects people’s mind and socio-cultural way of living. For instance, because of several attacks that Al Shabaab has meted on Nairobi, Kenyans live in fear. Many have had to adjust their way of living, thinking and acting. Because of these perceptions, the Kenyan government sent its troops to Somalia to crush the militants in a bid to secure its borders and the region. The results of this are however yet to come forth with Al Shabaab having carried the Westgate Mall attack in 2013, killing more than 60 people. In April 2015, Al Shabaab raided Garissa University in North Eastern Kenya, leaving about 150 dead, majority being university students.

The Ideology of Al Shabaab

Very few people understand the ideology of Al Shabaab. Apart from its association with Al Qaeda and Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, nothing much is known about this outfit. In the minds of many, Al Shabaab is a disoriented group of youths who were looking for something to keep them busy. Kenyans never worried about the impact and activities of the group as long as it operated in within the fragmented state of Somalia. However, with the challenges posed by Al Shabaab, everyone in the region is concerned about ways of taming the group.

In recent years, Kenyans see Al Shabaab as their number one security threat. The group has its strongholds in Jubaland, which was part of colonial Kenya. The formation of the group can be linked to local and global failures in addressing issues within Somali. The dream of having Greater Somalia by bringing different people together was seen as a way of uniting Somalis. However, when the government collapsed, the differences that had been suppressed among people resurfaced.

The challenges posed by Al Shabaab to Kenya

While almost every country in the region, including Uganda, and Ethiopia feel the challenges posed by Al Shabaab, Kenya appears to be at the center. The attack on Garissa University College that left 147 dead and scores injured was a demonstration of how the militants are determined to spread Sharia Law, having targeted non-Muslims in the attack. With its dwindling popularity and heightened surveillance and intelligence, the group has resorted to kidnappings.

 

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References:

https://www.chathamhouse.org/publication/after-westgate-opportunities-and-challenges-war-against-al-shabaab

http://www.fairobserver.com/region/africa/the-shabab-distortion-somalias-real-challenges-lie-elsewhere-11687/

http://www.meforum.org/2486/somalia

http://www.e-ir.info/2012/02/17/the-challenge-of-al-shabaab/

http://warontherocks.com/2013/08/the-challenge-of-al-shabaab-in-somalia-our-moral-obligations/

http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/2015/04/19/somalia-al-shabaab-the-region-and-u-s-policy/