Forces from the Somali Army and the African Union have been
making progress against the Somali based cell of al-Qaeda, al-Shabaab. Most
recently this coalition of forces took control of the town of Jowhar, which had
become a safe haven for al-Shabaab. Over the past year a new campaign against
the militant Islamist group has shrunk its holdings down to a few small rural
areas. Also assisting in the efforts are troops from Kenya and Ethiopia. Both
countries have stepped across the border in support of the effort against
al-Shabaab.
It
is no mystery that the United States is very involved as well in this effort. Two
American citizens on the FBI’s most wanted list are considered operating
members of al-Shabaab. The idea of safe haven for an al-Qaeda affiliated
organization is not good for national security. General Carter Ham, the
commander of Africa Command, has praised the effort and called it a model for
future campaigns against extremist groups.
Closing
in on a year of this revitalized campaign it is as important as ever for this
coalition of forces to remain on the offensive. The United States could also
consider a higher level of assistance in this area to help wipe out the
remaining cells of al-Shabaab.
Alexander, David. "Fight
against Al Shabaab Instructive Model for Future: U.S. General." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 03 Dec. 2012.
"FBI €”
Most Wanted Terrorists." FBI.
Nor, Omar. "Somali Army
Captures Key Town from Al-Shabaab Rebels." CNN. Cable News Network, 09 Dec. 2012.
I think the presence of radical Islam in Africa is something that largely is overlooked by the general public but it certainly is and is continuing to become a large issue and is front and center in the "war on terror." Terror groups in Africa are aided by the fact that much of the foreign effort to curb extremism is centered in the Middle East. Also, the widespread political unrest and lawlessness make the continent an ideal location for these jihadists to run their organizations. Meanwhile the poverty and poor quality of living and the fact that roughly half of the continent is Muslim helps their recruiting efforts.
ReplyDeleteI did a blog on this same topic awhile back, and when i did mine, it seemed that al-shabaab had been moved out of many towns they controlled. There is definitely a lot of involvement in getting rid of these terrorists by the entire world, but i agree that this issue is often overlooked, especially in African states, where these insurgents thrive. My worry is that as more attention is paid to them, there is a possibility that they will go underground, move to new locations, and start over just like they always do. Hopefully we are seeing them diminish, but i fear that they will not be out of the picture anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI am very surprised about all the Islamist militant extremists that are occupying and causing chaos in Africa right now because I never knew that was a problem, of course I was even more stunned to read that two US citizens are operating members of al-Shabaab. Compared to conflict going on in Mali, it is shocking and sad that Somalia, an African country itself is not only participating in al-Qaeda but protecting very dangerous insurgents. After also reading about Mali and Guinea-Bissau, I feel that countries like Somalia keep causing trouble along with countries like Mali that are in trouble because of problems from groups that are protected in Somalia IE al-Qaeda, soon countries will fall because of destroyed government and corruption and then the countries that are causing problems will also fall because they will destroy themselves by attacking neighboring countries that give support. So if something doesn't change soon, many African countries will fall and lose their government and power which will economically, politically, and physically dangerous for Africa and other countries around the world. Thank goodness though Kenya and Ethiopia are stepping in against these extremists, it is one step in the right direction to have good minded countries involved.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to compare the works of al-Shabaab and the works of militant jihadist insurgency group Boko Haram in Nigeria. Al-Shabaab's affiliation with al-Qaeda has resulted in the international response that it has, while the Boko Haram is mostly dealt with by the Nigerian government. However, it's interesting that the Somali government has little investment in halting al-Shabaab while the Nigerian government wants to end the Boko Haram.
ReplyDelete