What fuels terrorism in Somalia? Perspectives from the jihadist group Al-Shabaab

Summary

Terrorism has remained a big international threat to worldwide security with Somalia being amongst the most hit nations owing to the consistent actions of Al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab is very strong and is still very influential in Somalia and some parts of Kenya even though a number of deaths and attacks have been recorded to have decreased over the last few years. This article considers the theory of securitization as an analytical tool when exploring the motivation to persist in the group. It presents the interaction between structural push and pull determinants, including economic deprivation, poor governance, marginalization of the society and human rights, and propaganda, economic incentives, and territory. The discussion identifies the state and non-state actors in creating an intuition of Al-Shabaab as a perceived threat to their existence and justifying the interventions based on counter-terrorism. Simultaneously, Al-Shabaab actively resorts to reverse securitization to position itself as the protector of Somali identity and Islam, thus continuing to attract and sustain recruitment and support. The article highlights the multidimensional aspects of radicalization and the complexity of the security situation in Somalia through the synthesis of empirical data, reports on policy, as well as scholarly opinions. It concludes by reiterating the necessity of a multi-faceted approach to counterterrorism that involves not just military actions but the structural changes that are long-term in nature and would deal with weak points in governance, economics, and society.

Keywords

Al-Shabaab, Somalia, terrorism, securitization, radicalization, push-pull factors, economic deprivation, governance