The New Fight Against Al Shabaab
Rise to PeaceMay 29, 2022
On Tuesday, Kenya police reported that suspected al-Shabab militants abducted four people in the northeastern county of Mandera, near the country's border with Somalia, including two paramedics, an ambulance driver, and a patient.
The ambulance was reportedly heading to Elwak hospital for referral with a patient accompanied by hospital staff when attackers ambushed and carjacked it, driving towards Somalia. They aren't in communication now due to network issues.
Just like ISIS, the goal of al-Shabab — which has grown from hundreds of militants to thousands — is to create an Islamic State in Somalia. Without continued support from the West and Somalia's neighbors, some estimate the group's violent attacks will increase by over 70%. They aren't just a threat to Somalia but to its Western and African allies. More must be done to counter them.
After a little-known brief period of peace and prosperity, the 2006 US and UK-backed Ethiopian invasion of Somalia is what really created modern-day al-Shabab. In pursuit of expanding its military presence everywhere, the West — with Pres. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as its proxy — has yet again helped cause the problems it's now trying to "fix." The last thing needed is more Western meddling.
There's a 50% chance that at least 25.1K deaths will occur as a result of terrorism in 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.