terça-feira, 24 de setembro de 2013

Al Shabab: somali terror across borders

By Admin 03:00

Al Shabab (Al-Shabbaab), which means youth in Arabic, is a fundamentalist movement that emerged after the defeat of the Union of Islamic courts in Somalia, more than six years. Aims to establish an Islamic State governed by sharia law. His name is on the list of terrorist organizations of the US Government. Since 2008, controls much of the country.

But in 2011, the Government troops, with the help of the African Union and Kenya forced them to retreat. Then, the army of Nairobi held several incursions at the border and even in Somalia. Today the radical Islamists consider themselves vindicated.

"Al Shabab never liked the presence of Kenyan military in Somalia, when they arrived, in 2011. AL Shabab threatened, then that would fight against Kenya on Kenyan territory, "explains one analyst.

Today the movement is led by Abu Zubeyr, alias Ahmed Abdi Godan. Al Shabab announced the formal adhesion to Al Qaeda, in 2012. According to some sources, should have between seven to nine thousand militants.

Among the most relevant actions undertaken by the Group include the deaths of 76 people, Ugandan capital, Kampala, during the final of the football World Cup in 2010.

The attack against a base of the African Union, in 2009, which made 11 dead.

In October 2011, another bombing that claimed the lives of over 70 people. And last April, a raid against a court that caused more 29 fatalities.

But this is only the second time that these terrorist attack outside of Somalia and is the first time that operate in this way. According to some survivors of Mali, they are very young and without mercy, imbued with a spirit of revenge.

Despite having the same objective internally, the movement has deep fractures oppose because of fighting between rival clans: the nationalists want to seize power in Somalia, and the global jihadists who want to take the fight beyond borders.

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