Executive Summary Islamic State’s (IS) spokesman hailed the group’s African “provinces” for their sustained expansion. IS has been able to continue to opportunistically consolidate its presence in Africa while global attention is concentrated elsewhere. While IS has focused on the Israel–Hamas conflict to some extent,... MORE

Executive Summary: A flood of foreign fighters to IS provinces in Africa is unlikely, but East Africa is more primed than West Africa to see an inflow of jihadists from around the world due to cultural differences and the harsh environment of the Sahel. After... MORE

Executive Summary Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) granting Ethiopia access to build a naval base on Somaliland's coast. This was offered in exchange for Ethiopia recognizing Somaliland as an independent state, drawing condemnation from al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab has failed to establish itself... MORE

Among Islamic State’s (IS) provinces, a majority of their most active affiliates are in Africa; included among these is Islamic State in Somalia Province (ISS). Recently, however, ISS suffered a severe blow when US forces killed a prominent militant leader in late January, alongside nine... MORE

Al-Shabaab is increasingly threatening Ethiopia amid the escalating conflict between its militants and Ethiopian and other foreign troops in Somalia (The Reporter, July 1). With the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) set to fully withdraw from Somalia by the end of 2024, it... MORE

Concerted diplomatic efforts were invested during preparations for the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, formally held on July 27 and 28, and President Vladimir Putin was grandstanding, networking and entertaining his guests non-stop from Wednesday afternoon to Saturday evening. His main intention was to demonstrate... MORE

On January 25, the US Embassy in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania issued a public warning regarding the possibility of a local terrorist attack. It mentioned in particular “large gatherings” as possible targets (tz.usembassy.gov, January 25). The Tanzanian authorities nevertheless reacted with reassurances and denials, with the police... MORE

On June 8, al-Shabaab raided a hotel along Mogadishu’s Lido Beach and killed six guests and three members of the Somali special forces, who had entered the hotel to rescue 84 hostages that eventually escaped (garoweonline.com, June 9). The attack sent a message to the... MORE

Al-Qaeda’s Somalia-based affiliate, al-Shabaab, has suffered major setbacks in its battle against the internationally backed Somali government since 2007, when African Union troops entered the war-torn country. The militant group has lost key towns and territory, including the capital, Mogadishu, and the port city of... MORE

On January 26, a US Special Forces operation in the mountainous region of Puntland, Somalia eliminated Bilal al-Sudani, who was a militant trainer and financial and logistical strategist within Islamic State in Somalia (ISS). Al-Sudani, who was also known as Suhayl Salim Abd el-Rehman, died... MORE