Somali Terrorist Group Attacks Chinese Construction Site in Kenya

 The Indo-Asian News Service published on 24 January 2022 an article titled "Suspected Al-Shabab Suspects Burn Down 8 Trucks in Kenya,"

The Somali terrorist organization, al-Shabaab, attacked the construction site of the China Communications Construction Company in Lamu County, Kenya and destroyed 8 vehicles.  The Kenya Defense Forces engaged the attackers.  There reportedly were no Chinese casualties, although this construction project has periodically been subject to attack by al-Shabaab.  .

Kenya-Somalia Ties Can Be Restored

 Aljazeera published on 11 January 2021 a commentary titled "Somalia and Kenya Still Have a Road to Neighbourly Cooperation" by Abdimalik Abdullahi.  

Last December, Somalia broke diplomatic relations with Kenya "for meddling in its affairs."  The author summarizes the conflicts between Kenya and Somalia, and then argues the two countries can and should begin to take steps to resolve them.  

Is Kenya Fighting Al-Shabaab Terror with Terror?

The Washington Post published on 3 November 2019 an article titled "In Kenya's Battle against Al-Shabaab, Locals Say the Military Is Fighting Terror with Terror" by Max Bearak.

Kenyan Somalis who live in northeastern Kenya near the border with Somalia claim that the Kenyan Defense Forces are using terrorist tactics to defeat the terrorist organization, al-Shabaab.

The Kenya-Somalia Maritime Dispute

Lawfare posted on 15 May 2019 a commentary titled "The Kenya-Somalia Maritime Dispute and Its Potential National Security Costs" by Emmah Wabuke, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.

Somalia auctioned oil and gas blocks in an Indian Ocean maritime territorial area claimed by Kenya. This led to an immediate crisis in Kenya-Somalia relations. The matter is now before the International Court of Justice.

Security Program in Somalia Is Not Working

The Elephant posted on 24 January 2019 a commentary titled "Rebranding Al Shabaab: Geopolitics, Greed, Ineptitude and the Losing Battle against Terror" by Abukar Arman.

Somalia has outsourced to foreign actors almost every aspect of its security and none of them is accountable to the Somali government. The author argues that sustainable security will not exist so long as the international community continues its AMISOM-focused initiative at the expense of rebuilding robust Somali military and security forces that are capable of dealing with extremists and securing Somalia's borders.

Why Al-Shabaab Attacks Kenya

The Conversation posted on 16 January 2019 an interview titled "Why Al-Shabaab Targets Kenya, and What Can Be Done To Stop Attacks" by Brendon J. Cannon, Khalifa University, and Martin Plaut, Institute of Commonwealth Studies.

One of the reasons al-Shabaab carries out attacks in Kenya is the international publicity it attracts, which aids recruitment and fundraising that are byproducts of the international press coverage. The attacks are also an effort by al-Shabaab to remain relevant.

Kenya Improves Response to Terror Attack

The Conversation posted on 20 January 2019 a commentary titled "How Kenya's Security Forces Did Better This Time. But There Still Are Gaps" by Patrick Muthengi Maluki, University of Nairobi.

Kenyan security forces responded more effectively to the 15 January 2019 al-Shabaab terrorist attack on the commercial complex in Nairobi than it did in the case of the al-Shabaab attack on Westgate Mall five years ago. Kenya subsequently installed state of the art surveillance equipment, established the National Counter Terrorism Centre, and created an anti-terrorism police unit. Kenya still needs to do a better job collecting and disseminating intelligence.

Al-Shabaab's Sex Workers in Kenya

The War on the Rocks blog posted on 14 August 2018 a piece titled "Al-Shabaab's Mata Hari Network" by Katharine Petrich, a PhD candidate at Northeastern University.

The author looks at the use of prostitutes in Nairobi, Kenya, by al-Shabaab for purposes of collecting intelligence from Kenyan government and law enforcement officials about the war in Somalia, where Kenyan soldiers are deployed. The al-Shabaab-affiliated sex workers are independent contractors who trade in sex first and information second. Al-Shabaab's strong policy against prostitution and adultery in Somalia give way to the pragmatic need for information by aiding and abetting the practice in Kenya.

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.

Kenya's January 2016 Battle with Al-Shabaab

The International Peace Institute published in July 2016 an account titled "The Battle at El Adde: The Kenya Defense Forces, al-Shabaab, and Unanswered Questions" by Paul Williams, George Washington University.

In January 2016, al-Shabaab fighters attacked and overran an AMISOM forward operating base garrisoned by Kenya Defense Force troops from the 9th Rifle Battalion. The battle at El Adde probably represented the largest loss of life that AMISOM has suffered in a single battle. This account details the battle.

Islamic State Tries to Enter Somalia

The Terrorism Monitor published on 29 April 2016 an article titled "Jahba East Africa: Islamic State Alters the Dynamic of Somalia's Conflict" by Sunguta West, an independent journalist based in Nairobi.

A group calling itself Jahba East Africa, which is aligned with the Islamic State, is trying to challenge al-Shabaab in Somalia. The author argues this development will complicate the conflict both for the African Union forces in the country and the much stronger al-Shabaab terrorist organization.

Is Kenya's Anti-terrorist Crackdown Exacerbating Extremism?

Afro Barometer published on 2 July 2015 a survey titled "Is Kenya's Anti-terrorist Crackdown Exacerbating Drivers of Violent Extremism?" by Stephen Buchanan-Clarke and Rorisang Lekalake.

The survey data show that Kenyans disapprove of their government's handling of terrorism and that the Somali Kenyan community is even more critical than citizens from other ethnic communities.  Somali Kenyans feel marginalized by the state and express problematic levels of social intolerance, factors that indicate the presence of political and social conditions associated with higher levels of violent extremism.  Like most Kenyans, a majority of Somali Kenyans see the police as corrupt and untrustworthy.

Why Kenyan Forces Should Stay in Somalia

The African Executive published in its 6-13 May 2015 edition a commentary titled "Terror: Why KDF Should Not Pull Out of Somalia" by Okwaro Oscar Plato, analyst with Gravio Consulting.  It makes the case that Kenyan Defense Force troops should remain in Somalia as part of AMISOM.  Recalling the force means that Kenya has lost the battle.

Responses to Insecurity in Kenya

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) published in April 2015 a report titled "Responses to Insecurity in Kenya: Too much, Too Little, Too Late?" by Andrews Atta-Asamoah, ISS Pretoria.

Many of the threats to Kenya's security come from criminal groups and armed civilians operating as bandits.  However, since Kenya deployed troops in Somalia to combat incursions by armed groups from that country, chiefly al-Shabaab, attacks on soft civilian targets have increased significantly.  The Kenyan government has announced several initiatives to counter the growing security threats, but none of them has yet been put fully into practice. This report examines the nature and potential effects of these initiatives. 

The Nature and Drivers of Insecurity in Kenya

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) published in April 2015 a report titled "The Nature and Drivers of Insecurity in Kenya" by Andrews Atta-Asamoah, ISS in Pretoria. 

The author suggests that the activities of internal radical and armed groups and the nature of Kenyan politics may pose a greater threat to stability and security than does Somalia-based al-Shabaab. 

Kenya's Dilemma in Somalia: To Withdraw or Not to Withdraw?

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria published a commentary on 23 June 2014 titled "Kenya's Dilemma in Somalia: To Withdraw or Not to Withdraw?" by Andrews Atta-Asamoah, senior researcher at ISS.  The piece lays out the arguments for and against the withdrawal of Kenyan forces from Somalia.