With World Focused On Boko Haram Analysis

S Foreign policy within HOA. Djibouti supports African Union and U.S. Foreign Policy efforts to eradicate the spread of Islamic extremists groups such as Al-Qaida affiliated al-Shabaab – this commitment includes providing military forces to the African Union Mission in Somalia, supporting the Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu, Somalia. Additionally, the Djiboutian government supports USAID efforts throughout Africa by providing warehousing for the only stockpile of humanitarian aid on the African continent. (Diplomatic, Information IOP)

Somalia has been a land of strife since its modern history began in the early 1900’s, when British rule was challenged through constant attacks led by Mohammad Abdullah, AKA “Mad Mullah”, a folk hero amongst modern day Somalis (African Affairs, 2011). Conflict in Somalia continues to thrive thanks in large part to the terrorist group Al Shabaab (“the youth” in Arabic), a radical Islamic based organization that maintains control over a large portion of the central and southern part of the country. Al Shabaab has ties to Al Qaeda (AQ) with the main goal of installing a fundamentalist Islamist government in Somalia and is conducting an insurgency against both the UN-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the African Union

As far as any indications of state(s) sponsorship officials have “found no direct ties” among the Somali pirates and regional or international terror groups such as Al Shabaab, radical Islamist, or al-Qaeda at present, and “the pirates show no

In an attempt to gain local perspective of the most recent terror attacks in Western Africa, reporter Carley Petesch of the Associated Press has been stationed in the region as their lead West-African correspondent. In the article she discusses how the beach massacre in Ivory Coast and the attack on a Mali hotel have forced the United Nations and European Union to dispatch troops to the area, with the hopes of improving local security measures. She speaks with locals and an area security consultant to discuss how the terrorist group known as Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) continue to terrorize the region, and local governments are in need of international assistance to prevent future attacks.

With a long history of violence, rebellion, and chaos, the African country of Somalia now seeks guidance. The country’s violent past started when military forces overthrew the last democratically elected government in October 1969, about 37 years ago. Military rule undermined, and ultimately destroyed the country. The military regime divided citizens into allies and enemies, and rewarded its allies while it punished whole communities. Life conditions in Somalia became so unbearable that the President Bush, Sr. was forced to act, and ordered thousands of American troops to enter Somalia in order to open the roads so that emergency food aid could be urgently delivered to the citizens.

Current U.S. policy toward counterterrorism efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa is incredibly vague, which is a strength of the policy as the needs of this developmental concern evolves constantly. Presently, Africa seems to be nearing a stage of transition as the largest threat arguably changes from al-Qa’ida to other extremist groups, such as Boko Haram and

The Al-Shabaab is regarded as one of the most dangerous African terrorist organizations. Al-Shabaab is a multiethnic militant group out of Somalia that uses many terrorist tactics in attempts to gain control over the country of Somalia. They use many forms of terrorism that include ideological revolutionary, dissident, and nationalist terrorism, as they have the motive to gain power over a territory by overthrowing the government. The Al-Shabaab is suspected to have taken part in many terrorist attacks, including the 1998 United States embassies bombings. The motive behind their violence is their goal of creating an Islamic state in Somalia, which they believe is morally justified by the ideological beliefs. An important psychological

Al-Shabaab as a terrorist group poses a significant threat in Somalia and in the global community. This paper will start by discussing the background. In this part the paper will show how the group has evolved from Al-Ittihad Al-Islam (AIAI) to the Islamic Court Union (ICU) and lastly to Al-Shabaab. Before discussing the group’s threat of national security, homeland and international, this paper will provide the conceptual meaning of key terminology, such as national security, homeland security, international security and globalization. It is important to understand these concepts before moving toward the main argument of the paper. After providing the framework for key concepts, the paper will discuss the group’s threat to Somalia in two areas, national security and homeland security. The paper will go further and identify the threats posed by the group on other nations’ homeland security and international security. We will use East African countries and the United States examples. The paper will provide evidence to support how globalization has shaped and fueled the threats from Al-Shabaab. It will then discuss the primary response from the United States and from African countries through AMISOM. The paper will provide the way forward and suggestions for the response of the international community to Al-Shabaab. In conclusion, we will try to alert the international community that although the group has been experience hard times in Somalia, it is unwise to

Afghanistan and Somalia have had many terrorists emerge over the span of twenty years in order to evoke disorder in the world. The United States (U.S.) has been attempting to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat terrorists (A person, group, or organization that uses violent action, or the threat of violent action, to further political goals; frequently in an attempt to coerce a more powerful opponent) associated with al-Qaida and its affiliates ("U.S. Relations With Afghanistan"). For example, during the Battle of Mogadishu the U.S. attempted to capture Mohamed Farrah Hassan Aidid’s foreign minister Omar Salad Elmi and his highest political advisor, Mohamed Hassan Awale. In Afghanistan, the U.S. made a long-term commitment to help Afghanistan build a secure state with a democratic government that respects human rights ("U.S. Relations With Afghanistan"). In both Afghanistan and Somalia the U.S. has intervened sequentially to provide assistance and aid and has successfully done so.

Some experts and analysts were under the notion that al Shabaab was trending down. Except that merely one week ago, two events transpired that should put those misaligned prognostications to rest. First, al Shabaab recaptured the key port city of Merca, and second, they are also suspected of being responsible for an explosion aboard a Daallo Airlines flight from Mogadishu to Djibouti. The explosion tore a hole in the fuselage and sucked one man’s charred body out of the plane. These two events occurring within the span of a week suggest that al Shabaab is most certainly not trending down. Al Shabaab’s recent flexing of muscle, combined with it’s transnational capabilities to commit terrorist acts, illustrates that this terrorist group deserves an elevated importance among the US intelligence community (IC) and requires increased intelligence resources to

The militant group’s funding comes from a variety of organized crime and donations, cyber scams, fake charities, kidnapping, bank robbery, and theft from Nigeria’s security establishment. The group has received financial support from al Qaeda and other African governments. Central to Boko Haram’s approach includes using hard-to-track human couriers to move cash, relying on local funding sources, such as local governments, and engaging in only limited financial relationships with other extremist groups.1 They recruit as many Islamic extremist groups recruit, by radicalizing boys and young men who have failed at something or seek a higher purpose in life. The group’s recruitment methods have changed in recent years; more recruits are forcibly

Boko Haram is a militant Islamic group based in northeastern Nigeria, but is also active in northern Cameroon, Chad, and Niger (“Boko Haram Fast Facts” 1). Their main purpose as an organization is to institute Sharia, which is known as Islamic law (“Boko Haram Fast Facts” 1). In the local Hausa dialect, one of the largest ethnic groups spoken in West Africa, Boko Haram means “Western education is forbidden” (“Boko Haram Fast Facts” 1). The group is also referred to as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad, meaning “People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad” (“Boko Haram Fast Facts” 1). Boko Haram militants mostly live in areas in the northern states of Nigeria, specifically Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, and Yobe (“Boko Haram Fast Facts” 1). Initially, Boko Haram was referred to as the Nigerian Taliban due to their religious similarities to the Taliban (“Boko Haram Fast Facts” 1). Boko Haram does not participate in Nigeria’s political system out of an adherence to a fundamentalist form of Islam, which prohibits contribution unless the system is based on Sharia, or Islamic law (“Boko Haram Fast Facts” 1). Because of Boko Haram’s intention to create a nation that is entirely Islam, he has caused numerous attacks and deaths in Nigeria since 2009 (“Boko Haram Fast Facts” 1). Since then, the devastation that Boko Haram has caused in Africa’s most populous country in order to overthrow the government and establish an Islamic state is similar to

Boko Haram is becoming an increasingly poignant issue on the world stage. There is much research looking to dissect the origins of the group, their motivation, and their goals, but there is no single accepted understanding. This paper looks to gather the different viewpoints to connect them and take a comparative look whether or not they can be compatible or contradictory. These views range from religion, to a manifestation of a class struggle and deprivation theory. Of the explanations selected, all have absolute relevancy, but for the most part only look at single factors rather than looking at combined factors. The following will look to incorporate all of these factors into a cohesive explanation, taking into account the complex environment that Boko Haram has originated

Today, terrorism is among the foremost issues troubling the world. Most terrorist groups are the root cause of death and destruction of property worth millions. Mainly, most terrorist groups place their belief in religion, Islam to be more specific. Though the Islamic faith is quick to separate itself from such terrorist groups, it is clear that all trace their roots to their faith. Most terrorist groups were mainly situated in the Arab world, in the Middle East. However, they have evolved and today they are beginning to take root in the world particularly in Africa. The Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram are clear examples of terrorist groups in Africa. Boko Haram in particular has been a juggernaut for the Nigerian government and the world at large. Their most recent abduction of 276 schoolchildren is a clear indication of their strength (Smith 11). As such, this paper will focus on the Boko Haram. Key to the analysis is its beginnings and history and its activities across the world. More importantly is the ways to try to deal with the growing Boko Haram Society.

According to the Wikipedia Boko Haram refers to People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad. Better known by its Hausa name Boko Haram, it is a Salafist jihadist terrorist organization based in the northeast of Nigeria. It is an Islamist movement which strongly opposes man-made laws. Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2001 or 2002, the organisation is a Muslim sect that seeks to abolish the secular system of government and establish a Sharia