Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State in Somalia

The CTC Sentinel published in March 2018 a study titled "Black Banners in Somalia: The State of al-Shabaab's Territorial Insurgency and the Specter of the Islamic State" by Christopher Anzalone, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

The author concludes that militarily al-Shabaab retains significant capabilities to launch a range of attacks targeting both military and soft targets, including major suicide-vehicle bombings inside the most secure areas of the country such as central Mogadishu. The Islamic State in Somalia, al-Shabaab's main jihadi competitor, continues to lag behind it in terms of numbers, military capabilities, and media reach.

Somalia: Plea for Help to Fight Terrorism

The New York Times published on 26 October 2017 an op-ed titled "Somalia Doesn't Need Tears. Help Us Fight Terrorism" by Abdillahi Mohamed Sanbalooshe, director general of Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency.

To defeat al-Shabaab, the author argues that Somalia requires expertise and specialized equipment that it lacks. It also needs a new paradigm of cooperation between Somali security services and its international partners, including the United States.

Al-Shabab: A Close Look at East Africa's Deadliest Radicals

World Politics Review published on 19 August 2014 a good analysis titled "Al-Shabab: A Close Look at East Africa's Deadliest Radicals" by Peter Dorrie, a freelance journalist.  

Dorrie concludes that al-Shabaab has emerged from an existential crisis and looks stronger than it has in years.  He describes al-Shabaab as the only faction in Somalia's political landscape with a clear and, for the most part, consistent political agenda.