The somaliabased islamist insurgent group alshabab has proved resilient, committing brazen terrorist attacks at home and abroad, despite strategic setbacks. The assault also cost alshabaab huge sums of money and brought existing tensions within the leadership to the fore. Amid the outrage against alshabaab, its important to recognise that terrorism does not happen outside of history. Timeline of al shabab attacks in somalia, other countries the somali islamist militant group al shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack on a shopping mall in kenyas capital. Aqam futures project case study series july 2011 project. Although based in somalia, al shabaab also conducts attacks in neighboring countries, notably kenya. The harakat shabaab al mujahidincommonly known as al shabaab was the militant wing of the somali council of islamic courts that took over most of southern somalia in the second half of 2006. Get babylons translation software free download now. A brief history of somalias alshabab terror group huffpost. Alshabab formally pledged allegiance to alqaeda in 2012, though ties between them existed since 2008, when the americanborn alqaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap cleric anwar alawlaki released a statement praising alshabab for fighting against the u. Alshabaab militant group contemporary history timelines somalia.
Due to alshabaab s alleged ties with al qaeda and the fact that they were being trained in afghanistan the u. Two new jersey men sentenced to decades in prison for conspiring to kill overseas with designated foreign terrorist organization al shabaab, u. Tweet describes the photo as mujahideen of east africa. The analysis of the recent attack is followed by a timeline of alshabaabs. Anwar alaulaqi, radical ideologue and attack planner for. Al shabaab and the challenges of providing humanitarian. Al shabaab is an al qaedaaffiliated organization that has risen rapidly to.
Alshabaab members are reported to have intimidated, kidnapped and killed some aid workers, leading to a suspension of humanitarian operations and an exodus of relief agents. As a washington post profile from last year describes, he was a prominent force in taking the militant group from a loose network of hardliners into a relatively cohesive, and notably alqaedaaligned, militant group. The battle was described as a tactical disaster for kenya and the worst military defeat in kenyas history. Aqam futures project case study series case study number 2 july 2011 project directors. Osama bin laden, the head of the international terrorist cell al qaeda, is pictured in footage used in a cbc documentary. Beginning in 2006, the group waged an insurgency against somalias transitional federal government tfg. A history of somalias insurgent movement it was formed in 2006 by young men and until recently controlled most of southern somalia. Learn about al shabab, the al qaeda affiliate with continued influence in somalia, and track the latest developments in the country using cfrs global conflict tracker. In 2014, it maintained a sizable militant army of around 7,000 to. Islamist organization that rose to power in somalia in early 2006, al shabaab was radicalized and. Somalia timeline covering an arranged chronological timetable of key events within a particular historical period by. They killed him a day later al shabab attacks on kenyan schools have bred fear among teachers, parents and pupils.
The analysis of the recent attack is followed by a timeline of al shabaabs. Starting from alqaedas first major attack in east africa, this timeline tracks alshabaabs advances and setbacks in somalia, as well its attacks in uganda and. These are some of the key events in the groups recent history. Modern history of al shabaab while much of the icus leadership quickly fled the ad. Al shabaab faced a political crisis as, under pressure to switch its allegiance from al qaeda to the socalled islamic state. The african militant organization al shabaab, which means the youth, is an international terrorist group with connections to al qaeda in central asia and the middle east. Al shabaab has increasingly become an obstacle to the delivery of humanitarian assistance in somalia, the majority of which consists of food aid. Historic timeline national counterterrorism center. Al shabaab or al shabab ashshabab is an arabic phrase meaning the youth.
Alshabab pulls out of mogadishu in what it calls tactical move. They also warned that they would try to kill any of the peacekeepers, which is a sign of the turmoil and the anarchy of the country. August 31, 2015 photo of an al shabaab brigade tweeted from an islamic state affiliated twitter account. Islamic extremists present in southern somalia and known for violent suicide attacks on mogadishu and neighbouring kenya. That is certainly true of alshabaab, which was born out of the islamic court. Al shabaab arabic for the youth, an islamic militant group that seeks to create an islamic state in somalia, formed in 2004 as the militant wing of the islamic courts union icu, a network of islamist militant tribes. Programs china brief eurasia daily monitor terrorism monitor militant. Alshabab has had several sources of income throughout its history, including varying degrees of. Al shabaab is making millions of dollars by exploiting foreign aid money sent to somalia by the very western nations who are trying to destroy the terror group. Black hawk down or the battle of mogadishu was fought between somalian and us forces on the third and fourth of october, 1993. Channel 4 news reports from inside a jihadist training camp in somalia where the much feared al shabaab is. The attackers killed 147 and injured 79 before detonating suicide vests when cornered by security forces. How somalias al shabab grew into a global terror threat.
The history and ideology of a militant islamist group jarle hansen, stig on. As a result, au troops step up efforts in late july 2011 to protect civilians and aid workers from attacks. Who are the east african jihadi group and what are their goals. The important stories of innovation across the continents wideranging economies. It eventually rejected the idea, resulting in a small faction breaking away. Over the years, the group has solidified its stance.
Al shabab is currently led by ahmad umar, also known as abu ubaidah. Two al shabab fighters disguised as government soldiers. The icu began as a loose grouping of sharia courts that by 2006 had grown into a powerful islamic militia which enjoyed control over much of southern somalia. Al zawahiri approved and welcomed alshabaab as al qaedas somaliabased affiliate in a 15minute video response, stating today, i have glad tidings for the muslim ummah that will please the believers and disturb the disbelievers, which is the joining of the shabaab al mujahideen movement in somalia to qaeda al jihad, to support the jihadi. Translate al shabab in english online and download now our free translator to use any time at no charge. The group developed in the early 2000s parallel to, and later in partnership with, the union of islamic courts uic that overran the capital, mogadishu, and installed themselves as administrators over mogadishu and much of somalia in 2006. Some 5,000 child soldiers could be fighting in somalia, according to a top unicef official, as both the somali national army and al shabab utilize minors in a bloody conflict. There has been an evolution in al shabaab s position toward international aid organizations.
Al shabaab strategic objectives and operational aims in kenya. Harakat al shabaab al mujahideen, more commonly known as al shabaab meaning youth, is a clanbased jihadist terrorist group in east africa. Its a great introduction for those new to the topic, but its also a landmark work and absolutely required reading for. Al shabaab strategic objectives and operational aims in. Prelude to the deep jihad in eastern africa al shabaab officially known as harakat al shabaab al mujahideen hsm is the formal affiliate of al qaeda which is currently conducting a prolific terrorist campaign against kenya despite suffering a series of major strategic setbacks in. Godane served as alshababs spiritual and political leader from 2008 until his death in 2014. Al shabaab is a somali, clanbased insurgent and terrorist group. Alshabaab events in history timeline timetoast timelines. The al shabab threaten the uns world food program aid workers, causing them to evacuate the parts of southern somalia under al shabab control. The history and ideology of a militant islamist group.
Gunmen believed to be al shabaab militants attack a village near mandera town and kill a chief before abducting two kenya police reservists. This necessitated intensive meetings and alqaeda mediation to resolve some of the disagreements within alshabaab, whilst godane, robow and others repeatedly denied speculation about splits within the group. Despite the groups defeat by somali and ethiopian forces in 2007, al shabaab a clanbased insurgent and terrorist grouphas continued its. Inside al shabaab is the definitive history of the somali militant group, rich with newly disclosed details about the groups genesis and its ties to al qaeda. Al shabaab harakat al shabaab al mujahideen is a jihadi insurgent group active in somalia and, in recent years, increasingly in kenya. Timeline of al shabab attacks in somalia, other countries. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. Alshabaab originated as a militia affiliated with the islamic courts union icu, a federation of alshabaab, somali. The first, a suicide truck bombing in mogadishu kills 82 people and. Alshabaab leaders released a video tape labeled any peacekeepers that enter somalia as enemies and invaders.
Chronology of international advisoryassistance and joint. Starting from alqaedas first major attack in east africa, this timeline tracks al shabaabs advances and setbacks in somalia, as well its attacks in uganda and. A chronology of key events in the history of somalia from first arab sultanate. Al qaedas focus on somalia is in part reflected in its propaganda. Mohamed hamoud alessa is a convicted islamic extremist and wouldbe foreign fighter for al shabab. Counterterrorism and counterinsurgency in somalia rand. The organisation known as alshabaab originally emerged from the islamic courts union icu movement in somalia. This battle resulted in two us helicopters being shot down over the city of mogadishu. The al shabaab is based in east africa and controlled some urban areas in yemen and southern somalia. Al shabab, or the youth, is an al qaidalinked militant group and u. Somalia time line chronological timetable of events. This chapter examines al shabaabs historical evolution. The history of alshabaab south african history online.
Background report alshabaab attack on garissa university in kenya on thursday, april 2, gunmen attacked garissa university in eastern kenya, near the border with somalia. The report also notes that the illicit sale of charcoal by alshabaab has continued in the last year at a magnitude similar to the previous year. Starting from alqaeda s first major attack in east africa, this timeline tracks alshabaab s advances and setbacks in somalia, as well its attacks in uganda and kenya. Al shabab debated whether to switch allegiance to the islamic state is group after it emerged in january 2014.
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