Terrorism in Africa: An Inside Look At the 3 Most Dangerous
African Terrorist GroupsByEmily MellgardOctober 02, 2013
Al-ShababAl-Shabab is aninsurgent groupbased in Somalia that
employs guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics to seek territorial
control over the country. The name means the youth in Arabic. It
formed as the militant youth wing of the now defunct Union of
Islamic Courts in 2006 in Somalia. Its presence is limited to
Somalia and incursions across Somali borders into Kenya and
Ethiopia. It may have also played a role in the 2002 attacks on the
U.S. embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi. It has claimed
responsibility for the attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi on
September 21.
The leader isAhmed Abdi Godane, who was also behind the
establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and emphasizes a
more international agenda than in the past. He recently emerged
victorious in a power struggle with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
Aweys, who is now in Somali government custody, emphasized a
localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took over the leadership role
following death of his predecessor (Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro) in a
2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who have followed the Sufi
Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab espouses a radical form
of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has been a point of contention
between the group and some, civilian Somalis. The group is not a
single, monolithic organization. Commitment and goals vary among
members. Most are likely more committed to national than to
international goals.Al-Shababs activities can have an international
impact. Their attacks across international borders, like the
September attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, impact
international expatriate and tourist presence as well as
international business interests, in addition to the devastation it
wrecks on local communities and businesses. (The Westgate Mall is
jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli interests.). Most of al-Shababs
activities and demands remain focused on Somalia, however. They
still control large swaths of southern-central Somalia, even as
international (UN and AU backed) troops make headway along Somalias
borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a network of smugglers,
kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are active across much of
the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of semi-desert at the
southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb is the Northwest
African region that included the old Islamic empires. AQIM may have
aspirations for influence across northern and Sahelian Africa that
echoes their extent.
Thefounders of the groupwere fighters in Armed Islamic Group
(AIG) during the Algerian civil war (1991-2002). There have been
several generations of groups with cross-over in membership and
ideology over the past 11 years; AQIM is merely the current
manifestation. It was formed in 2007.AQIM broadly seeks to rid
northern Africa of western influence and western style governments.
Its rhetoric calls for the establishment of an Islamic polity in
territories they have controlled, they have often imposed strict
forms of sharia law. As with Al-Shabab, AQIM has links with the
Al-Qaeda franchise, and draws heavily on Wahhabi Islamic teaching.
Also similar to al-Shabab,AQIM is not a monolithic group, and there
are often murderous disagreements among its commanders on how best
to establish Islamic rule. Sometimes these lead to break away
factions establishing their own groups, as occurred when AQIM
fighter Mokhtar Belmokhtar broke away to form a group he calls
Those Who Sign in Blood Brigade in December.Abdelmalek Droukdel is
AQIMs current overall leader, though there his authority is limited
by several high-ranking commanders. They exercise considerable
autonomy from Droukdel and each other, and are as often rivals as
comrades.AQIM funds itself through kidnapping foreigners and
holding them for ransom. Ransoms for Europeans can run as high as
$4.5 million. AQIM is also heavily involved in smuggling across the
Sahara. The ancient trade routes that once used to transport salt
and slaves (among other commodities) now transport narcotics from
South America and weapons, among other things.AQIM is a danger to
U.S. and western interests only when those interests are located in
the Sahara and Sahel. AQIM has yet to demonstrate the capability or
the realistic political will to expand its activities beyond its
current sphere of influence.Boko HaramBoko Haram is a diffuse,
grassroots basedradical insurgencythat has waged a bloody campaign
against the Nigerian state since 2010.The group is highly
diffuseand operates in a cell-like structure across Northern
Nigeria. At times they also traverse the porous borders into Niger,
Cameroon, and even into Mali.Like al-Shabab and AQIM, Boko Haram
has been influenced by Saudi based Wahhbism, but with a
particularly African flare. Many of the radical teachers who
proselytize Islamic radicalism in Nigeria are influenced by Islamic
teachers based in Khartoum.Broadly speaking, Boko Haramrejects as
evilthe secular federal government in Nigeria, seeks its
destruction, and the establishment of an Islamic state in its
place. However, the group lacks essential structure and unified
leadership. John Campbell (former ambassador to Nigeria) states
that Boko Haram is "looking toward the creation of God's kingdom on
earth through violence against those they see as Islam's enemies,
rather than the achievement of a political program."
The nominal head of Boko Haram is Sheikh Abubakar Shekau. He was
the deputy of Boko Harams founder Mohammed Yusuf, and took over
when the police murdered Yusuf in 2009.The group uses a number of
tacticsincluding bombings (suicide and timed explosions), targeted
assassinations, drive-by shootings, and mass killings (using guns,
knives, and machetes) in highly populated areas. They have attacked
schools during class, their dormitories at night, churches and
mosques during service, and set off explosives in crowded
markets..The groups foot soldiers are largely the urban unemployed,
and often the survivors of the Alma Jiri Quranic school system.
These are street schools where children memorize the Koran and beg
on the streets for their food.Shekau often uses global jihadist
rhetoric in his videos (his chosen method of communication with the
outside world), but there is little evidence that their practical
goals reach beyond Nigerias borders. Boko Haram is rooted in the
grievances of poverty, under education, and chronic bad governance.
This concentrates their activities on the national government and
what the group perceives as outposts of federal oppression. They
also target religious leaders and members of the public, Muslim and
Christian, who are seen to be working against Boko Haram. That
manifests itself in attacks on schools, churches, opposition
mosques, security, and government buildings and personnel.Boko
Haram ideology is malleable though, so a shift toward a
moreinternational perspectiveat some point in the futureunder
different leadership, or following a particularly transformative
catalystis not out of the question.Emily Mellgard is a research
associate at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) working with
Ambassador John Campbell on the Africa program. You can follow Amb.
Campbell's bloghere.LIKE US ON FACEBOOK:SHARETerrorism in Africa:
An Inside Look At the 3 Most Dangerous African Terrorist
GroupsByEmily MellgardOctober 02, 2013 Al-ShababAl-Shabab is
aninsurgent groupbased in Somalia that employs guerrilla warfare
and terrorist tactics to seek territorial control over the country.
The name means the youth in Arabic. It formed as the militant youth
wing of the now defunct Union of Islamic Courts in 2006 in Somalia.
Its presence is limited to Somalia and incursions across Somali
borders into Kenya and Ethiopia. It may have also played a role in
the 2002 attacks on the U.S. embassies in Dar es Salaam and
Nairobi. It has claimed responsibility for the attack on the
Westgate Mall in Nairobi on September 21.
The leader isAhmed Abdi Godane, who was also behind the
establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and emphasizes a
more international agenda than in the past. He recently emerged
victorious in a power struggle with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
Aweys, who is now in Somali government custody, emphasized a
localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took over the leadership role
following death of his predecessor (Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro) in a
2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who have followed the Sufi
Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab espouses a radical form
of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has been a point of contention
between the group and some, civilian Somalis. The group is not a
single, monolithic organization. Commitment and goals vary among
members. Most are likely more committed to national than to
international goals.Al-Shababs activities can have an international
impact. Their attacks across international borders, like the
September attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, impact
international expatriate and tourist presence as well as
international business interests, in addition to the devastation it
wrecks on local communities and businesses. (The Westgate Mall is
jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli interests.). Most of al-Shababs
activities and demands remain focused on Somalia, however. They
still control large swaths of southern-central Somalia, even as
international (UN and AU backed) troops make headway along Somalias
borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a network of smugglers,
kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are active across much of
the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of semi-desert at the
southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb is the Northwest
African region that included the old Islamic empires. AQIM may have
aspirations for influence across northern and Sahelian Africa that
echoes their extent.
Thefounders of the groupwere fighters in Armed Islamic Group
(AIG) during the Algerian civil war (1991-2002). There have been
several generations of groups with cross-over in membership and
ideology over the past 11 years; AQIM is merely the current
manifestation. It was formed in 2007.AQIM broadly seeks to rid
northern Africa of western influence and western style governments.
Its rhetoric calls for the establishment of an Islamic polity in
territories they have controlled, they have often imposed strict
forms of sharia law. As with Al-Shabab, AQIM has links with the
Al-Qaeda franchise, and draws heavily on Wahhabi Islamic teaching.
Also similar to al-Shabab,AQIM is not a monolithic group, and there
are often murderous disagreements among its commanders on how best
to establish Islamic rule. Sometimes these lead to break away
factions establishing their own groups, as occurred when AQIM
fighter Mokhtar Belmokhtar broke away to form a group he calls
Those Who Sign in Blood Brigade in December.Abdelmalek Droukdel is
AQIMs current overall leader, though there his authority is limited
by several high-ranking commanders. They exercise considerable
autonomy from Droukdel and each other, and are as often rivals as
comrades.AQIM funds itself through kidnapping foreigners and
holding them for ransom. Ransoms for Europeans can run as high as
$4.5 million. AQIM is also heavily involved in smuggling across the
Sahara. The ancient trade routes that once used to transport salt
and slaves (among other commodities) now transport narcotics from
South America and weapons, among other things.AQIM is a danger to
U.S. and western interests only when those interests are located in
the Sahara and Sahel. AQIM has yet to demonstrate the capability or
the realistic political will to expand its activities beyond its
current sphere of influence.Boko HaramBoko Haram is a diffuse,
grassroots basedradical insurgencythat has waged a bloody campaign
against the Nigerian state since 2010.The group is highly
diffuseand operates in a cell-like structure across Northern
Nigeria. At times they also traverse the porous borders into Niger,
Cameroon, and even into Mali.Like al-Shabab and AQIM, Boko Haram
has been influenced by Saudi based Wahhbism, but with a
particularly African flare. Many of the radical teachers who
proselytize Islamic radicalism in Nigeria are influenced by Islamic
teachers based in Khartoum.Broadly speaking, Boko Haramrejects as
evilthe secular federal government in Nigeria, seeks its
destruction, and the establishment of an Islamic state in its
place. However, the group lacks essential structure and unified
leadership. John Campbell (former ambassador to Nigeria) states
that Boko Haram is "looking toward the creation of God's kingdom on
earth through violence against those they see as Islam's enemies,
rather than the achievement of a political program."
The nominal head of Boko Haram is Sheikh Abubakar Shekau. He was
the deputy of Boko Harams founder Mohammed Yusuf, and took over
when the police murdered Yusuf in 2009.The group uses a number of
tacticsincluding bombings (suicide and timed explosions), targeted
assassinations, drive-by shootings, and mass killings (using guns,
knives, and machetes) in highly populated areas. They have attacked
schools during class, their dormitories at night, churches and
mosques during service, and set off explosives in crowded
markets..The groups foot soldiers are largely the urban unemployed,
and often the survivors of the Alma Jiri Quranic school system.
These are street schools where children memorize the Koran and beg
on the streets for their food.Shekau often uses global jihadist
rhetoric in his videos (his chosen method of communication with the
outside world), but there is little evidence that their practical
goals reach beyond Nigerias borders. Boko Haram is rooted in the
grievances of poverty, under education, and chronic bad governance.
This concentrates their activities on the national government and
what the group perceives as outposts of federal oppression. They
also target religious leaders and members of the public, Muslim and
Christian, who are seen to be working against Boko Haram. That
manifests itself in attacks on schools, churches, opposition
mosques, security, and government buildings and personnel.Boko
Haram ideology is malleable though, so a shift toward a
moreinternational perspectiveat some point in the futureunder
different leadership, or following a particularly transformative
catalystis not out of the question.Emily Mellgard is a research
associate at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) working with
Ambassador John Campbell on the Africa program. You can follow Amb.
Campbell's bloghere.LIKE US ON FACEBOOK:SHARE
Al-Shabab is aninsurgent groupbased in Somalia that employs
guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics to seek territorial control
over the country. The name means the youth in Arabic. It formed as
the militant youth wing of the now defunct Union of Islamic Courts
in 2006 in Somalia. Its presence is limited to Somalia and
incursions across Somali borders into Kenya and Ethiopia. It may
have also played a role in the 2002 attacks on the U.S. embassies
in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi. It has claimed responsibility for the
attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi on September 21. The leader
is Ahmed Abdi Godane, who was also behind the establishment of
formal ties with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and emphasizes a more
international agenda than in the past. He recently emerged
victorious in a power struggle with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
Aweys, who is now in Somali government custody, emphasized a
localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took over the leadership role
following death of his predecessor (Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro) in a
2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who have followed the Sufi
Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab espouses a radical form
of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has been a point of contention
between the group and some, civilian Somalis. The group is not a
single, monolithic organization. Commitment and goals vary among
members. Most are likely more committed to national than to
international goals.Al-Shababs activities can have an international
impact. Their attacks across international borders, like the
September attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, impact
international expatriate and tourist presence as well as
international business interests, in addition to the devastation it
wrecks on local communities and businesses. (The Westgate Mall is
jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli interests.). Most of al-Shababs
activities and demands remain focused on Somalia, however. They
still control large swaths of southern-central Somalia, even as
international (UN and AU backed) troops make headway along Somalias
borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a network of smugglers,
kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are active across much of
the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of semi-desert at the
southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb is the Northwest
African region that included the old Islamic empires. AQIM may have
aspirations for influence across northern and Sahelian Africa that
echoes their extent.
The leader is Ahmed Abdi Godane, who was also behind the
establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and emphasizes a
more international agenda than in the past. He recently emerged
victorious in a power struggle with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
Aweys, who is now in Somali government custody, emphasized a
localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took over the leadership role
following death of his predecessor (Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro) in a
2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who have followed the Sufi
Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab espouses a radical form
of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has been a point of contention
between the group and some, civilian Somalis. The group is not a
single, monolithic organization. Commitment and goals vary among
members. Most are likely more committed to national than to
international goals.Al-Shababs activities can have an international
impact. Their attacks across international borders, like the
September attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, impact
international expatriate and tourist presence as well as
international business interests, in addition to the devastation it
wrecks on local communities and businesses. (The Westgate Mall is
jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli interests.). Most of al-Shababs
activities and demands remain focused on Somalia, however. They
still control large swaths of southern-central Somalia, even as
international (UN and AU backed) troops make headway along Somalias
borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a network of smugglers,
kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are active across much of
the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of semi-desert at the
southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb is the Northwest
African region that included the old Islamic empires. AQIM may have
aspirations for influence across northern and Sahelian Africa that
echoes their extent.
The leader is Ahmed Abdi Godane, who was also behind the
establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and emphasizes a
more international agenda than in the past. He recently emerged
victorious in a power struggle with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
Aweys, who is now in Somali government custody, emphasized a
localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took over the leadership role
following death of his predecessor (Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro) in a
2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who have followed the Sufi
Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab espouses a radical form
of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has been a point of contention
between the group and some, civilian Somalis. The group is not a
single, monolithic organization. Commitment and goals vary among
members. Most are likely more committed to national than to
international goals.Al-Shababs activities can have an international
impact. Their attacks across international borders, like the
September attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, impact
international expatriate and tourist presence as well as
international business interests, in addition to the devastation it
wrecks on local communities and businesses. (The Westgate Mall is
jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli interests.). Most of al-Shababs
activities and demands remain focused on Somalia, however. They
still control large swaths of southern-central Somalia, even as
international (UN and AU backed) troops make headway along Somalias
borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a network of smugglers,
kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are active across much of
the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of semi-desert at the
southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb is the Northwest
African region that included the old Islamic empires. AQIM may have
aspirations for influence across northern and Sahelian Africa that
echoes their extent.
The leader is Ahmed Abdi Godane, who was also behind the
establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and emphasizes a
more international agenda than in the past. He recently emerged
victorious in a power struggle with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
Aweys, who is now in Somali government custody, emphasized a
localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took over the leadership role
following death of his predecessor (Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro) in a
2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who have followed the Sufi
Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab espouses a radical form
of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has been a point of contention
between the group and some, civilian Somalis. The group is not a
single, monolithic organization. Commitment and goals vary among
members. Most are likely more committed to national than to
international goals.Al-Shababs activities can have an international
impact. Their attacks across international borders, like the
September attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, impact
international expatriate and tourist presence as well as
international business interests, in addition to the devastation it
wrecks on local communities and businesses. (The Westgate Mall is
jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli interests.). Most of al-Shababs
activities and demands remain focused on Somalia, however. They
still control large swaths of southern-central Somalia, even as
international (UN and AU backed) troops make headway along Somalias
borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a network of smugglers,
kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are active across much of
the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of semi-desert at the
southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb is the Northwest
African region that included the old Islamic empires. AQIM may have
aspirations for influence across northern and Sahelian Africa that
echoes their extent.
The leader is Ahmed Abdi Godane, who was also behind the
establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and emphasizes a
more international agenda than in the past. He recently emerged
victorious in a power struggle with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
Aweys, who is now in Somali government custody, emphasized a
localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took over the leadership role
following death of his predecessor (Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro) in a
2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who have followed the Sufi
Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab espouses a radical form
of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has been a point of contention
between the group and some, civilian Somalis. The group is not a
single, monolithic organization. Commitment and goals vary among
members. Most are likely more committed to national than to
international goals.Al-Shababs activities can have an international
impact. Their attacks across international borders, like the
September attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, impact
international expatriate and tourist presence as well as
international business interests, in addition to the devastation it
wrecks on local communities and businesses. (The Westgate Mall is
jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli interests.). Most of al-Shababs
activities and demands remain focused on Somalia, however. They
still control large swaths of southern-central Somalia, even as
international (UN and AU backed) troops make headway along Somalias
borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a network of smugglers,
kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are active across much of
the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of semi-desert at the
southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb is the Northwest
African region that included the old Islamic empires. AQIM may have
aspirations for influence across northern and Sahelian Africa that
echoes their extent.
The leader is Ahmed Abdi Godane, who was also behind the
establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and emphasizes a
more international agenda than in the past. He recently emerged
victorious in a power struggle with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
Aweys, who is now in Somali government custody, emphasized a
localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took over the leadership role
following death of his predecessor (Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro) in a
2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who have followed the Sufi
Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab espouses a radical form
of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has been a point of contention
between the group and some, civilian Somalis. The group is not a
single, monolithic organization. Commitment and goals vary among
members. Most are likely more committed to national than to
international goals.Al-Shababs activities can have an international
impact. Their attacks across international borders, like the
September attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, impact
international expatriate and tourist presence as well as
international business interests, in addition to the devastation it
wrecks on local communities and businesses. (The Westgate Mall is
jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli interests.). Most of al-Shababs
activities and demands remain focused on Somalia, however. They
still control large swaths of southern-central Somalia, even as
international (UN and AU backed) troops make headway along Somalias
borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a network of smugglers,
kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are active across much of
the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of semi-desert at the
southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb is the Northwest
African region that included the old Islamic empires. AQIM may have
aspirations for influence across northern and Sahelian Africa that
echoes their extent.
The leader isAhmed Abdi Godane, who was also behind the
establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and emphasizes a
more international agenda than in the past. He recently emerged
victorious in a power struggle with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
Aweys, who is now in Somali government custody, emphasized a
localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took over the leadership role
following death of his predecessor (Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro) in a
2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who have followed the Sufi
Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab espouses a radical form
of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has been a point of contention
between the group and some, civilian Somalis. The group is not a
single, monolithic organization. Commitment and goals vary among
members. Most are likely more committed to national than to
international goals.Al-Shababs activities can have an international
impact. Their attacks across international borders, like the
September attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, impact
international expatriate and tourist presence as well as
international business interests, in addition to the devastation it
wrecks on local communities and businesses. (The Westgate Mall is
jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli interests.). Most of al-Shababs
activities and demands remain focused on Somalia, however. They
still control large swaths of southern-central Somalia, even as
international (UN and AU backed) troops make headway along Somalias
borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a network of smugglers,
kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are active across much of
the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of semi-desert at the
southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb is the Northwest
African region that included the old Islamic empires. AQIM may have
aspirations for influence across northern and Sahelian Africa that
echoes their extent. SHARE TWEET PINThe leader isAhmed Abdi Godane,
who was also behind the establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda
in 2012 and emphasizes a more international agenda than in the
past. He recently emerged victorious in a power struggle with
Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys. Aweys, who is now in Somali government
custody, emphasized a localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took
over the leadership role following death of his predecessor (Moalim
Aden Hashi Ayro) in a 2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who
have followed the Sufi Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab
espouses a radical form of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has
been a point of contention between the group and some, civilian
Somalis. The group is not a single, monolithic organization.
Commitment and goals vary among members. Most are likely more
committed to national than to international goals.Al-Shababs
activities can have an international impact. Their attacks across
international borders, like the September attack on the Westgate
Mall in Nairobi, impact international expatriate and tourist
presence as well as international business interests, in addition
to the devastation it wrecks on local communities and businesses.
(The Westgate Mall is jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli
interests.). Most of al-Shababs activities and demands remain
focused on Somalia, however. They still control large swaths of
southern-central Somalia, even as international (UN and AU backed)
troops make headway along Somalias borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda
in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a
network of smugglers, kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are
active across much of the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of
semi-desert at the southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb
is the Northwest African region that included the old Islamic
empires. AQIM may have aspirations for influence across northern
and Sahelian Africa that echoes their extent. SHARE TWEET PIN
The leader isAhmed Abdi Godane, who was also behind the
establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and emphasizes a
more international agenda than in the past. He recently emerged
victorious in a power struggle with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
Aweys, who is now in Somali government custody, emphasized a
localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took over the leadership role
following death of his predecessor (Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro) in a
2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who have followed the Sufi
Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab espouses a radical form
of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has been a point of contention
between the group and some, civilian Somalis. The group is not a
single, monolithic organization. Commitment and goals vary among
members. Most are likely more committed to national than to
international goals.Al-Shababs activities can have an international
impact. Their attacks across international borders, like the
September attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, impact
international expatriate and tourist presence as well as
international business interests, in addition to the devastation it
wrecks on local communities and businesses. (The Westgate Mall is
jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli interests.). Most of al-Shababs
activities and demands remain focused on Somalia, however. They
still control large swaths of southern-central Somalia, even as
international (UN and AU backed) troops make headway along Somalias
borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a network of smugglers,
kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are active across much of
the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of semi-desert at the
southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb is the Northwest
African region that included the old Islamic empires. AQIM may have
aspirations for influence across northern and Sahelian Africa that
echoes their extent. SHARE TWEET PIN
The leader isAhmed Abdi Godane, who was also behind the
establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda in 2012 and emphasizes a
more international agenda than in the past. He recently emerged
victorious in a power struggle with Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys.
Aweys, who is now in Somali government custody, emphasized a
localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took over the leadership role
following death of his predecessor (Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro) in a
2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who have followed the Sufi
Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab espouses a radical form
of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has been a point of contention
between the group and some, civilian Somalis. The group is not a
single, monolithic organization. Commitment and goals vary among
members. Most are likely more committed to national than to
international goals.Al-Shababs activities can have an international
impact. Their attacks across international borders, like the
September attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, impact
international expatriate and tourist presence as well as
international business interests, in addition to the devastation it
wrecks on local communities and businesses. (The Westgate Mall is
jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli interests.). Most of al-Shababs
activities and demands remain focused on Somalia, however. They
still control large swaths of southern-central Somalia, even as
international (UN and AU backed) troops make headway along Somalias
borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a network of smugglers,
kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are active across much of
the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of semi-desert at the
southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb is the Northwest
African region that included the old Islamic empires. AQIM may have
aspirations for influence across northern and Sahelian Africa that
echoes their extent. SHARE TWEETPINThe leader isAhmed Abdi Godane,
who was also behind the establishment of formal ties with Al-Qaeda
in 2012 and emphasizes a more international agenda than in the
past. He recently emerged victorious in a power struggle with
Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys. Aweys, who is now in Somali government
custody, emphasized a localized struggle in Somalia. Godane took
over the leadership role following death of his predecessor (Moalim
Aden Hashi Ayro) in a 2008 U.S. airstrike.Unlike most Somalis, who
have followed the Sufi Muslim tradition for centuries, Al-Shabab
espouses a radical form of Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. This has
been a point of contention between the group and some, civilian
Somalis. The group is not a single, monolithic organization.
Commitment and goals vary among members. Most are likely more
committed to national than to international goals.Al-Shababs
activities can have an international impact. Their attacks across
international borders, like the September attack on the Westgate
Mall in Nairobi, impact international expatriate and tourist
presence as well as international business interests, in addition
to the devastation it wrecks on local communities and businesses.
(The Westgate Mall is jointly owned by Kenyan and Israeli
interests.). Most of al-Shababs activities and demands remain
focused on Somalia, however. They still control large swaths of
southern-central Somalia, even as international (UN and AU backed)
troops make headway along Somalias borders and coastline.Al-Qaeda
in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a
network of smugglers, kidnappers-for-ransom, and insurgents who are
active across much of the Sahel. The Sahel is the arid region of
semi-desert at the southern end of the Sahara Desert. The Maghreb
is the Northwest African region that included the old Islamic
empires. AQIM may have aspirations for influence across northern
and Sahelian Africa that echoes their extent.