ethiopia Archives

Jihadi history: Kenyan detainee transferred out of Guantanamo shows the extent of Al Qaeda’s jihad in East Africa

Caleb Weiss | December 18, 2024

The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced yesterday that longtime Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu was transferred to his native Kenya. Bajabu’s history presents an interesting historical look into Al Qaeda’s early activities in East Africa, acting as a reminder that the African Jihad, currently the global hotspot of jihadist activity, has been decades in the making.

Shabaab says it rejects Red Sea access deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland

Caleb Weiss | January 2, 2024

Ali Mohamud Rage, Shabaab’s spokesman, says the al-Qaeda branch is willing to spill blood over the recent Red Sea access deal signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland.

Somalia suffers worst month on record for suicide bombings

Caleb Weiss | October 6, 2023

At least 14 successful or attempted suicide bombings were reported in Somalia in September. This is the single highest monthly total since Shabaab began its suicide bombing operations in 2006.

Analysis: Shabaab takes advantage of slowed counter-offensive

Caleb Weiss | June 12, 2023

In the face of delayed or stalled offensive action taken against it, Shabaab seeks to rally its forces.

Puzzles deepen in the context of Shabaab’s attempted Ethiopian invasion

Caleb Weiss & Ryan O'Farrell | July 28, 2022

New reporting has shed new light on Shabaab’s recent incursions into Ethiopia. However, many perplexing elements remain uncovered.

Analysis: Shabaab’s multi-day incursion into Ethiopia

Caleb Weiss & Ryan O'Farrell | July 25, 2022

In addition to recently striking two Ethiopian outposts inside Somalia right on the border with Ethiopia, Shabaab also launched a three-day incursion into Ethiopia itself. On the Ethiopian side, officials from the Somali Region have stated that Shabaab was attempting to assist an ethnic Oromo insurgent group. This claim is likely dubious but follows a clear historical precedent.

Islamic State Somalia eulogizes foreign fighters

Caleb Weiss | January 23, 2019

The video provides the first known instance of a Western foreign fighter within the Islamic State Somalia’s ranks.

US airstrike kills dozens of Shabaab fighters day after Ethiopian forces ambushed

Caleb Weiss | January 19, 2019

A US airstrike reportedly targeted Shabaab militants as they went on the offensive following the deadly terrorist attack in Nairobi.

Shabaab targets Somali, African Union troops in southern Somalia

Caleb Weiss | March 4, 2018

Shabaab has claimed a number of attacks in recent days across southern Somalia, including briefly recapturing the strategic town of Balad just north of Mogadishu.

Shabaab spokesman calls on Kenyan jihadists to form an ‘army’

Thomas Joscelyn | May 22, 2017

In a newly released video, Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mahmoud Rage addresses graduates of a training camp for foreign fighters. “Many” of the graduates are from Kenya and, Rage says, they should form an “army that will conquer Kenya so that we may return to our families and relatives in a state of honor and glory.”