The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is releasing a new report profiling Somali violent Islamist group al-Shabab following its recent heightened wave of violence, including assassinations, suicide bombings, and an attack at the Hotel SYL in Mogadishu.    

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 Westgate Mall siege in Nairobi, Kenya, the group’s first major operation on foreign soil, which killed at least 67 people and wounded many more.

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 also 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.