Islamic State’s Resurgence Threatens Somalia

ADF STAFF

Northern Somalia, with its mountains, coastal towns and sparsely populated hinterlands, has felt the presence in recent months of a revitalized Islamic State affiliate (IS-Somalia) — its rise in prominence an increasing menace to the fragile country.

In its yearslong fight against al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabaab, IS-Somalia has managed to drive its more powerful rivals out of their previously held Buuraha Cali Miskat mountain range stronghold in the autonomous region of Puntland.

“Despite the presence of al-Shabaab, IS has also increased its influence in the port city of Bosaso and the surrounding remote villages in Qandala district,” the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) wrote in a July situation report. “Militant presence in this district makes it easier for the group to recruit followers and establish control.”

ACLED, a nongovernmental organization that maps and analyzes violent global crises, noted that the Qandala district is home to the Ali Saleban, a subclan of the Majeerten clan, to which IS-Somalia leader Abdulqadir Mumin belongs.

Mumin reportedly survived being the target of an airstrike on May 31, a sign of his rise to prominence within the Islamic State’s global leadership. Some analysts have speculated that Mumin may have been covertly named IS caliph, or global leader, earlier this year. Other experts have cast doubts on the idea of a non-Arab leading the terror group.

Africa, however, has become a top priority in the Islamic State group’s broader plans for expansion.

“The reported presence of multiple high-level leaders in Somalia and across Africa reflects Africa’s increasingly focal role in the IS global network,” analyst Liam Carr wrote in his June 20 critical threats assessment. “This includes the involvement of African-based affiliates and leaders in IS global operations, including funding external attacks and recruiting foreign fighters.”

Mumin’s rise has coincided with that of northern Somalia’s al-Karrar office, one of nine IS regional general directorates of provinces which provide funding and guidance to affiliates around the world.

The al-Karrar office reportedly is responsible for the group’s operations in Somalia, Central Africa and Yemen, and has played a key role in coordinating and delivering foreign fighters, supplies, ammunition, funds and guidance to IS branches and networks across the continent.

Colin Clarke, director of research at the global intelligence service The Soufan Group, told Voice of America that IS-Somalia has become a “linchpin to the group’s broader global logistics network.”

In cultivating a climate of fear and insecurity, IS-Somalia has expanded its significant influence in the Bari region of Puntland, on the tip of the Horn of Africa. The group typically uses violence and extortion against businesses and individuals who refuse to meet their demands.

“To finance its battle for control of the strategic areas in Puntland, IS has increased its monthly payments from businesses, which the group considers ‘taxes,’” ACLED stated. “This money is used to pay fighters and support the group’s activities, including recruitment.”

Abdikhaliq Awil, a security specialist based in Puntland’s capital Garowe, reported on social media in June and July that IS-Somalia was responsible for the closing of more than five large businesses as well as the National Hospital in Bosaso.

One business owner in Bosaso shared his ordeal, telling the Garowe Online news agency that “they contacted me recently and demanded I pay $300 monthly” before he negotiated the monthly extortion fee to $150.

The resurgence of IS and the ongoing war with al-Shabaab weren’t the only security issues for Somalia, as interclan fighting intensified in the central and southern regions. ACLED reported at least 20 armed clashes in June, easily the most violent of the last 12 months.

“Nearly half the clashes recorded in June were in Mudug region in Galmudug state,” ACLED stated. “Power struggles between various clans, each vying for control and influence over different regions, fuel the violence. Incidents are typically related to disputes over grazing fields, the construction of water walls and dams, and unresolved clan revenge disputes.”

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud blamed the problem on al-Shabaab and IS-Somalia trying to sow discord and disrupt counterterrorism efforts.

“It is part of the terrorists’ plan to turn our people against each other to divert attention from the liberation of the country,” he said in a July 6 address to parliament. “That will not happen. We are making our country peaceful and expelling the Khawarij [extremist insurgents] from the country.”