The murder of students at Kenya’s Garissa University is simply the latest shocking and despicable violent act committed by Somali extremist group al-Shabab. Striking more than 90 miles from their base in Somalia, al-Shabab gunmen targeted Christian students, killing almost 150 and wounding many more in an attack that lasted hours.
Following the murders, al-Shabab claimed credit and predicted other attacks would follow. Though smaller in terms of numbers compared to other extremist groups, al-Shabab is no less deadly, having also carried out the September 2013 attack at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, which killed 63 people and wounded more than 175.
In light of this latest horrifying attack, the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), is making available a resource detailing the group’s history, ideology and past terrorist acts:
Al-Shabab, or “the Youth,” is a Somali jihadist group that seeks to establish a fundamentalist Islamic state encompassing Somalia and the rest of the Horn of Africa, including Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia. In areas of Somalia that it already controls, the group imposes its strict version of sharia (Islamic law), prohibiting activities like listening to music or shaving beards. Among the many violent al-Shabab attacks was the September 2013 Watergate Mall siege in Nairobi, Kenya, the group’s first major operation on foreign soil. Ahmed Abdi Godane, a founder and emir (commander) of al-Shabab, officially declared al-Shabab’s allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2012 and further radicalized the organization. Following the declaration, some al-Qaeda fighters who trained at camps in Afghanistan moved to Somalia to train members of al-Shabab. The two groups continue to cooperate closely on everything from indoctrination and basic infantry skills to advanced explosives and assassination training. Al-Qaeda reportedly plays an important role in al-Shabab’s leadership. Out of an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 fighters, 200 to 300 are non-Somali, with a number coming from the Somali diaspora. In September 2014, Godane was killed by a U.S. drone and Somali officials have remained on high alert since in fear of possible retaliation. Al-Shabab has been successful at activating the Somali-American diaspora and harnessing social media to recruit members and fund terror activities.
Learn more about the origins, financing, leadership, history, and violent activities of al-Shabab and other extremist groups at counterextremism.com.
For requests for interviews, please contact CEP at [email protected].
For more information about the Counter Extremism Project, please visit our website.
About The Counter Extremism Project (CEP)
The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, international policy organization formed to combat the growing threat from extremist ideology. Led by a renowned group of former world leaders and former diplomats it will aim to combat extremism by pressuring financial support networks, countering the narrative of extremists and their online recruitment, and advocating for strong laws, policies and regulations.