Al Shabaab from local to regional and global terror threat

Abstract

The Al-Shabaab group, is an off-shoot of the former Islamic Courts Union (ICU) of Somalia and the branch of Al-Qaeda in the Horn of Africa. Al-Shabaab seeks to overthrow the government in Somalia and to establish an Islamic emirate ruled by a strict version of Shariah law.

In recent months, Al-Shabaab has stepped up its attacks as Somalia has been rocked by political crisis, the withdrawal of most of the US's troops from Somalia and a pause in American drone strikes that had targeted the Al-Shabaab group and its leaders.

Al-Shabaab poses a serious threat not only to Somalia’s security but also to that of the African continent and the globe at large. It adheres to the same global Islamist ideology as Al-Qaeda and has made several public statements pledging allegiance to the group and praising its leaders.