Somalia’s Al-­‐Shabaab: Down But Not Out

HSPI  Issue  Brief

22 August  27,  2013

Navan:  Group

Harakat‐Shabaab al-­‐Mujahedeen,  meaning “Mujahedeen Youth Movement” in Arabic, is an Al‐Qa’ida affiliated terrorist organiza:on that seeksto establish an Islamist state in Somalia. In   its   short   history,  al-­‐Shabaab  has  evolved  from  a  small  militia   group to a formidable insurgent force that once controlled significant amounts of  territory. Extending beyond Somalia, Al-Shabaab has pursued a global jihadist agenda by launching terrorist attacks in countries   such as Uganda and Kenya, and soliciting support from the Somali diaspora and external extremist  groups.

Following the 2006‐09  Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, Al-­‐Shabaab rose to national prominence  as a symbol of  resistance  against  Ethiopian ‘occupiers.’ Filling  the void in the wake of Ethiopia’s withdrawal  and the collapse of the Islamic Courts Union, the group  rapidly expanded becoming Somalia’s  dominant governing entity.1  By August 2010, al-­‐Shabaab controlled the majority of south and central Somalia, and   launched its first interna:onal attack targeting Uganda’s capital Kampala  with  multiple  suicide  bombings.

Read the full report here:  Somalia’s Al Shabaab