Latest Articles about East Africa
Yemen: A Dangerous Regional Arms Bazaar
Yemen is the second most heavily armed country in the world after the United States. Before the current civil war began, there were an estimated 54 guns for every 100 residents. [1] Now, the number of small and medium arms in the country is far... MORE
Somalia’s Militant Spin-Doctor: A Look at al-Shabaab Military Operations Spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis abu Musab
Despite losing major ground — or maybe in response to recent losses — Somalia’s Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, better known as al-Shabaab, has increasingly used propaganda to inspire fighters and gain support for its insurgency in southern Somalia. Senior leaders of al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda’s affiliate in East... MORE
Briefs
Somalia: Ramping up Action on al-Shabaab Somalia’s recently elected president has declared “war” on al-Shabaab and offered an amnesty to militants who lay down their weapons, backing his rhetoric with an overhaul of the country’s security establishment aimed at strengthening efforts to defeat the group.... MORE
Al-Shabaab Plays on Aid Distribution Role to Win Over Desperate Somalis
With a severe drought unfolding across Somalia, al-Shabaab militants have turned to distributing food aid in the country’s southern battlegrounds in a new strategy aimed at bringing locals on side. Two consecutive seasons of poor rainfall has led to livestock deaths and crop failure, forcing... MORE
Shaykh Hassan Yakub Ali: The Powerful al-Shabaab Waali of Galmudug
In February, Shakyh Hassan Yakub Ali became the first al-Shabaab militant leader to issue threats against Somalia’s new president, Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed. Ali warned that the al-Qaeda affiliate in East Africa would carry out sustained attacks throughout the four-year term of President Mohammed (a.k.a. Farmajo).... MORE
Briefs
Somalia: One Step Closer to Defeating al-Shabaab In the build up to his election as Somalia’s president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed announced he would invite al-Shabaab for a “sit down and discussion” (Twitter, January, 28). His rhetoric toward the group since then has been less welcoming.... MORE
Al-Shabaab: Why Somalia’s al-Qaeda Affiliate Wants Puntland
In contrast to the abundance of forecasts that predicted the weakening and eventual demise of al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda affiliated group is resurgent in many parts of Somalia. This resurgence is particularly notable in Puntland, a semi-autonomous part of northern Somalia where al-Shabaab has for a... MORE
