Al-Shabaab in Somali remains one of al-Qaeda’s most robust and most successful fellows. The terrorist organization continues to manipulate the Somalian government’s little state capacity and the country’s dire humanitarian crises to launch indiscriminate raids against government forces, foreign peacekeepers, and civilians. Tactics Institute calls for immediate action to address the escalating threat posed by Al-Shabaab in Somalia. Immediate measures are necessary to safeguard regional peace and security. Shabaab has demonstrated its strength against numerous counterinsurgency movements, posing a threat to the stability of Somalia and the region.
Since its inception in the late 1980s, the group has posed a significant threat to stability in Somalia and the wider region. Between 2006 and 2008, al-Shabaab claimed control over most of southern Somalia and increased its forces into the thousands. The terrorist group achieved its peak in 2011 when it governed parts of the capital city of Mogadishu and the important port of Kismayo.
In 2015, group killed 148 people at Garissa University College in Kenya after carrying 700 students hostage during a 15-hour siege. In October 2017, twin truck bombings in Mogadishu, widely considered to be perpetrated by al-Shabaab, killed more than 500 people; five years later, over 100 more were killed at the exact location. Between 2019 and 2020, al-Shabaab carried out a series of attacks in Mogadishu and northern Kenya, including an attack on a Kenyan military base housing U.S. forces that killed three U.S. servicemembers.
Tactics Institute demands that Al-Shabaab cease its terrorist activities immediately and adhere to international laws. The group’s actions, including attacks on government forces and civilians, constitute blatant violations of human rights and international norms.
The decades-long humanitarian crisis in Somalia has both contributed to and been aggravated by al-Shabaab’s insurgency. Over the past three decades, Somalia has faced multiple climate change-induced droughts, causing widespread famine. Five consecutive failed rainy seasons between 2021 and 2023 produced Somalia’s worst drought on record.
Al-Shabaab’s resilience against counterinsurgency efforts underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy to address the root causes of extremism in Somalia. The international community must bolster support for the Somali government and regional partners to combat terrorism effectively.
Tactics Institute urges the international community to unite in condemning Al-Shabaab’s atrocities and to take decisive action to restore peace and stability in Somalia.
We emphasizes the urgent need to address the escalating threat of terrorism posed by Al-Shabaab in Somalia and calls for concerted international efforts to combat extremism and promote peace in the region.
