Al-Shabaab in Somalia: The History and Ideology of a Militant Islamist GroupSince early 2007 a new breed of combatants has appeared on the streets of Mogadishu and other towns in Somalia: the 'Shabaab', or youth, the only self-proclaimed branch of al-Qaeda to have gained acceptance (and praise) from Ayman al-Zawahiri and 'AQ centre' in Afghanistan. Itself an offshoot of the Islamic Courts Union, which split in 2006, Shabaab has imposed Sharia law and is also heavily influenced by local clan structures within Somalia itself. It remains an infamous and widely discussed, yet little-researched and understood, Islamist group. Hansen's remarkable book attempts to go beyond the media headlines and simplistic analyses based on alarmist or localist narratives and, by employing intensive field research conducted within Somalia, as well as on the ground interviews with Shabaab leaders themselves, explores the history of a remarkable organisation, one that has survived predictions of its collapse on several occasions. Hansen portrays al-Shabaab as a hybrid Islamist organization that combines a strong streak of Somali nationalism with the rhetorical obligations of international jihadism, thereby attracting a not insignificant number of foreign fighters to its ranks. Both these strands of Shabaab have been inadvertently boosted by Ethiopian, American and African Union attempts to defeat it militarily, all of which have come to nought. |
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Abdi Abdullah Abu Mansoor accessed 1 August accessed 24 October Aden Hashi Ayro Afghanistan Ahmed AIAI Al-Ittihad al-Islamiya Al-Qaeda Al-Sha Al-Shabaab leaders alliance allies AMISOM Amniyat amongst areas Aweys baab Baidoa Bakool became bomb camp claimed clan-based conflict created December diaspora Djibouti East Africa Eritrea Ethiopian example factions February fighting forces foreign fighters Galgala Godane Group on Somalia Haradhere Harakat Al-Shabaab Hassan Turki Hawiye Hisbul Islam Ibid ideology important inside Somalia insurgents International Crisis Group Interview Islamists jihad jihadist June justice Kenyan killed Kismayo Marehan militias Mogadishu Mohamed Monitoring Group mosque Muhamed Muktar Robow Muslim Nairobi offensive Omar Hammami organization pirates police Puntland Qaeda Rahanwhein Ras Kamboni religion Report Roland Marchal September 2009 Shabaab Shabaab member Shabelle Sharia Courts Sheikh Shongola shura Somalia and Eritrea Somaliland Stig Jarle Hansen sub-clan suicide attacks suicide bombers targeted Terrorism Transitional Federal Government Ugandan ummah warlords Warsangeli Yemen