Strategic Thinking on East Africa

Foreign Policy Outmaneuvered by al-Shabab in Somalia, is the Islamic State gunning for a comeback next door? BY TY MCCORMICK NAIROBI — Kenyan authorities claim to have foiled a “large-scale” biological terrorist plot by militants linked to the Islamic State (IS), raising fears that the Iraq- and Syria-based group may be extending its influence in […]

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Bureau of African Affairs’ Assistant Secretary Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on “Terrorism and Instability in Sub-Saharan Africa” on May 10, 2016.

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From West Point’s Combatting Terrorism Center Author(s): Christopher Anzalone Abstract: In the face of major territorial, military, and economic setbacks, the Somali insurgent-jihadi group al-Shabaab has proven remarkably resilient thanks to pragmatic decision-making and skilled tactical maneuvering. With strong interpersonal ties and a capable internal security network, the group’s senior leadership continues to maintain overall […]

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Center for Policy Analysis and Research By Abdiwahid Abdullahi* April 12, 2016 Since the awakening of the Somali nationalism in 1945 after the defeat of Dervish warriors in the Godan plains of Nugal, the Somalis were dreaming to settle an old grievance that divided the Somali inhabited territories. The arrival of the Europeans had not […]

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Militant Groups Compete for Notoriety in East Africa By JEFFREY GETTLEMANAPRIL 12, 2016 Members of the Kenya Defense Forces carried the coffins of soldiers killed during an attack by the Shabab on a military base in western Somalia. CreditThomas Mukoya/Reuters NAIROBI, Kenya — Apparently there is no brotherly love among East Africa’s Islamist militants. This […]

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Foreign Policy One year after al-Shabab killed 147 people in cold blood, the Kenyan government has turned its back on the university where it happened. BY NANJALA NYABOLA GARISSA, Kenya — At approximately 5:00 a.m. on April 2, 2015, Sister Evelyn Ingoshe heard what sounded like a series of pops coming from the distance outside […]

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World This is a critical year for the troubled African nation. Charlotte Alfred REUTERS/TOBIN JONES/AU-UN IST PHOTO/HANDOUT A Somali soldier patrols a town captured from al Shabab. The Islamist militant group is trying to disrupt Somalia’s political transition in 2016. Every week, The WorldPost asks an expert to shed light on a topic driving headlines around […]

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From Brookings Institution Editors’ Note: Al-Shabab’s operational capacities and intimidation power have grown in the past year, writes Vanda Felbab-Brown. Many of Kenya’s counterterrorism policies have been counterproductive, and counterinsurgency efforts by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have at best stagnated. This piece was originally published by The Cipher Brief. April 2 marked one […]

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Publication: Terrorism Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 1 By: Sunguta West Abdirahim Mohammed Abdullahi (source: YouTube) Al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based Islamist militant organization, is still actively recruiting from neighboring Kenya even as the group suffers major setbacks in southern Somalia. Underpinning the group’s notable success in recruitment is the radicalization and indoctrination of young men in order to […]

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New York Times By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN Photo Kenyan runners, feared by rivals from other countries, training in the Rift Valley north of Nairobi in January.CreditSimon Maina/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images NAIROBI, Kenya — When a Chinese clothing company swooped in and offered to sponsor Kenya’s famed runners, Nike panicked, Kenyan officials say. “Can we talk about the situation?” a […]

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