Al-Shabaab (Somalia)
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| Somali Civil War | |
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| Al-Shabaab | |
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| Leaders | Aden Hashi Farah "Eyrow" † Mukhtar Robow "Abu Mansur" |
| Years active: | January 19, 2007–present |
| Headquarters: | Mogadishu |
| Operating Areas: | Parts of Mogadishu, Southern Somalia |
| Preceded by: | Islamic Courts Union (ICU) |
| Allies: | Foreign mujahideen |
| Opponents: |  Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Ethiopia AMISOM United States |
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Al-Shabaab (Arabic, "The Youth"), also known as Hizbul Shabaab (Arabic, "The Party of Youth")[1], and the Popular Resistance Movement in the Land of the Two Migrations (PRM)[2], is an Islamist insurgency group in Somalia. The group developed in the wake of the loss of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) at the hands of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and its backers, primarily the military of Ethiopia, in the War in Somalia (2006–present). An estimated 3,000 or so members of the ICU went underground to form an insurgency and armed cells across Mogadishu and elsewhere in Somalia, and are conducting attacks against the government and the allied Ethiopian forces. The term "Shabaab" is common in the Islamic world for youth groups, and it should not be confused with other more peaceful endeavors.
The group was at least previously the hard-line militant youth movement within the ICU[1], and is today described as an extremist splinter group. However, since the fall of the ICU it seems as though the distinction between the youth movement and the so called "successor organization" to the ICU, the PRM, has been blurred. The group was founded in 2004[2]. It recruits jihadists to wage war against "enemies of Islam". It's designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States Department of State.[3] It's also described as a terrorist organization by the Norwegian Police Security Service[4] and the Swedish Security Service.[5]
One of the group's primary objectives is the establishment of the rule of sharia.
Their core comprised veterans who fought and defeated the secular Mogadishu warlords of the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT) at the Second Battle of Mogadishu.[6] Their origins are not clearly known, but former members say Hizbul Shabaab was founded as early as 2004. Before the losses sustained by the Islamic Courts Union in December 2006, estimates of their strength varied between 3,000 to 7,000 members. Training comprised a six-week basic course. A few were sent to advanced training in Eritrea for guerrilla tactics and explosives.[7]
[edit] Activities
On June 10, 2006 a report in The Guardian stated, "An unnamed network run by one of Aweys's proteges, Aden Hashi Farah "Ayro", has been linked to the murder of four western aid workers and more than a dozen Somalis who allegedly cooperated with counter-terror organisations."[8]
On June 15, 2006 the leader of Al-Shabaab, Aden Hashi Farah "Eyrow", was said to have taken a load of arms sent from Eritrea [9] (see page 12).
On July 26, 2006, Sheikh Mukhtar Robow "Abu-Mansuur" was reported accepting another load of arms from Eritrea[9] (see page 15).
In July, 720 Somali volunteers were selected by Aden Hashi Farah "Eyrow" to travel to Lebanon to fight against the Israelis. Of those, only 80 returned to Mogadishu. In September, another 20 returned, along with five members of Hizbollah.[9] (see page 24).
The bankruptcy of a remittance company, Dalsan International, whose staff included the brother of Aden Hashi Farah "Eyrow", involved the suspicious disappearance of $10 million dollars. It was alleged, "an ICU military leader managed to divert a large amount of money to help financially support the organization in their fight for the control of Mogadishu during the June 2006 confrontation with the former counter terrorism alliance"[9] (see page 39). (Also see ARPCT, Second Battle of Mogadishu)
As of January 6, 2007, after the Fall of Mogadishu and Kismayo to the TFG, the leaders of the Shabaab were in hiding still at large.[10] A member of the disbanded group said they once numbered about 1,000 (lower than other claims by former members), but they do not have any weapons any more. Still, there was support for the call of Al-Qaeda leaders to maintain jihad against the Ethiopians and secular government.[11]
On January 19, 2007 the pro-Islamic Courts Union website Qaadisiya.com featured a video describing the reformation of the ICU into the "Popular Resistance Movement in the Land of the Two Migrations" (PRM), alternatively translated and referred to in press reports as the "Somali People's Insurgent Movement" (SPIM) or "Somali People's Resistance Movement" (SPRM). On January 24, Sheikh Abdikadir was announced to be its commander of the Banadir region.[12]
On January 31, 2007 the group made a video warning African Union peacekeepers to avoid coming to Somalia, claiming "Somalia is not a place where you will earn a salary - it is a place where you will die."[13]
On February 9, 2007 a gathering of 800 Somali demonstrators in north Mogadishu, where Islamist support was strongest, burned U.S., Ethiopian, and Ugandan flags in protest of the proposed African Union (AU) led and United Nations endorsed peacekeeping mission, known as AMISOM. "Abdirisaq", a masked representative of the resistance group, the PRM, said Ethiopian troops would be attacked in their hotels.[2][14][15]
On February 28, 2008, the United States Department of State designated al-Shabaab as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in accordance with section 219 of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Washington’s Self-Defeating Somalia Policy Matt Bryden, CSIS Policy Forum
- ^ a b "Diplomats stress need for all-inclusive talks on the future of Somalia", Associated Press, 2007-02-09. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
- ^ a b United States Department of State (2008-03-18). "Designation of Al-Shabaab". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-03-18.
- ^ Bye Skille, Øyvind. "Hold dere unna Al-Shabaab", Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, 2008-03-08. Retrieved on 2008-03-18. (Norwegian)
- ^ "16 mars - om Säpo och om bankernas vinster". Agenda. Sveriges Television. SVT1. 2008-03-16. 29 minutes in.
- ^ "Extremist" Splinter Group Of Somali Islamic Courts Formed Somaliland Times
- ^ Former Members of Radical Somali Group Give Details of Their Group Voice of America
- ^ Fall of Mogadishu leaves US policy in ruins The Guardian
- ^ a b c d Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia pursuant to Security Council resolution 1676, November 2006 Monitoring Group on Somalia, UN (PDF Format)
- ^ Ethiopian troops to leave Somalia 'within weeks' The Guardian
- ^ Disbanded Militant Youth Group in Somalia Support Al-Qaida Message
- ^ Somalia Enters a Devolutionary Cycle. Power and Interest News Report (PINR) (2007-02-02). Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
- ^ "Somali extremists post video warning to peacekeepers", Associated Press, 2007-01-31.
- ^ "Somalia: New group claims Mogadishu attacks", SomaliNet, 2007-02-09. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
- ^ "Somalia’s army commander sacked as new ambassadors are appointed", Shabelle Media Network, 2007-02-10. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
[edit] External links
- Ryu, A. 2007, 'Somali government calls for peacekeepers', Voice of America News, 13 February.
- Walker, R. 2008, 'Meeting Somalia's Islamist insurgents', BBC News, 28 April. Retrieved on 8 June 2008. (Interview with Al Shabaab member.)
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