Experts warn against Al-Shabaab

The Somalia-based Al-Shabaab militant group remains a potent threat to security in the region, although its capacity to stage regular attacks in urban areas has been degraded, the International Crisis Group (ICG) reports.

The conflict-prevention think tank, in a recent report, AlShabaab Five Years after Westgate: Still a Menace in East Africa, released on the fifth anniversary of the Westgate Mall terror attack in Nairobi, Kenya, warned against complacency, despite the reduced number of attacks in cities, in- cluding Nairobi and Mombasa.

Following a security forces’ crackdown on the organisation in urban areas, it has adapted to the situation by still carrying out bombings and gun and grenade attacks.

Al-Shabaab is also working on gaining more recruits outside of areas where it has been very active historcially such as Kenya’s coast and north-eastern regions.

The group is focusing on western and central Kenya and its recruitment drive has taken advantage of Christian youths who are recent converts to Islam and who are easier to manipulate due to their limited understanding of the religion.

In addition to its recruitment drive, the jihadis are now moving into the Pwani region of Tanzania, where they have managed to form alliances with local militants before staging numerous attacks there.

Dozens of police and soldiers have already been targeted in the border region through the lethal use of improvised explosive devices. – ANA