Latest Articles about East Africa
Al-Shabaab Aims for ‘Hearts and Minds’ With Establishment of Islamic Police Force
Al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda affiliate in Somalia, claims to have established a religious police force in an area it controls in southern Somalia, seeking to push forward its Islamist agenda even as it struggles to hold on to its territory in the face of the advance... MORE
Al-Shabaab Leader’s First Audio Message Suggests Morale Is Low Among Somali Militants
After nearly two years of silence, al-Shabaab leader Sheikh Ahmad Umar Abu Ubaidah has released his first audio message, a fiery rant that appears aimed at motivating his beleaguered fighters as they battle African Union (AU) troops in southern Somalia. The 44-minute audio recording, released... MORE
Kenya Gambles on Closure of Somali Refugee Camp to Halt al-Shabaab Attacks
Kenya has announced a plan to close its Dadaab refugee camp, the world’s largest refugee settlement, hoping such a move will end attacks by al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab fighters, who Nairobi has long claimed have infiltrated the settlement. Since Kenyan troops rolled into Somalia to fight al-Shabaab... MORE
The Pursuit of a “New Sudan” in Blue Nile State: A Profile of the SPLA-N’s Yasir Arman
Andrew McGregor Despite the 2011 separation of South Sudan, Sudan’s civil war continues in Darfur and what has become known as Sudan’s “new South,” Blue Nile State and South Kordofan. Though the fighting has often been intense, government forces in Blue Nile have been unable... MORE
Jahba East Africa: Islamic State Alters the Dynamic of Somalia’s Conflict
With the emergence of a group in Somaliland calling itself Jahba East Africa, it appears Islamic State (IS) is becoming an independent entity in Somalia’s insurgency. This development will likely complicate the conflict both for the African Union forces in the country and the indigenous... MORE
China’s First Overseas Base in Djibouti, An Enabler of its Middle East Policy
Although China has yet to achieve superpower status in the realm of security, it is certainly making concerted efforts toward becoming one. On November 26, Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson Wu Qian confirmed that China and Djibouti are holding negotiations over the construction of a... MORE
Al-Shabaab Recruitment from Kenyan Universities Alarms Officials
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 prepare them for the... MORE
The Road Comes to an End for Ugandan Islamist Leader Jamil Mukulu
Shaykh Jamil Mukulu, the leader of Ugandan Islamist group Allied Democratic Forces-National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (ADF-NALU), continues to be detained following his arrest in April by Tanzanian security forces. His arrest brought an end to the international hunt for one of the... MORE
Westgate and Garissa Mastermind Shaykh Ahmad Iman Ali: Kenyan Jihadist Leader Within al-Shabaab
Shaykh Ahmed Iman Ali is one of the al-Shabaab militant leaders most wanted by Kenyan security agencies, particularly for his role in attacks in that country. In 2012, he declared war on Kenya on behalf of the jihadist group (Daily Nation [Nairobi], September 29, 2013).... MORE