Al-Shabaab’s Exploitation of Extensive Displacements in Somalia: The Correlation Between Displacement and Radicalization
Al-Shabaab thrives amidst Somalia's turmoil, exploiting the vulnerable displaced population, transforming chaos into an opportunity for recruitment, control, and terror.
◆What is the connection between displacements and radicalization?
◆How does al-Shabaab utilize displaced people?
◆ In what ways may al-Shabaab be empowered by Somali IDP camps?
Somalia, over the years, has suffered from prolonged civil conflict and terrorist activities. It has been witnessing repeated clan disputes over different issues, including control and ownership of open terrain, grazing land, agricultural land, as well as water wells and reservoirs. Besides each other, the clans have also clashed with the al-Shabaab terrorist organization. So has the Somali government. Al-Shabaab employs suicide bombings, assassinations, and assaults against clans they cannot rule, as well as government officials and institutions. The Somali government has been conducting operations against al-Shabaab, aiming to reclaim significant territories from the group’s control. However, al-Shabaab continues to maintain a presence in certain areas by leveraging local dynamics and support from various sources.
