Somalia’s Unending Fight Against Al-Shabaab

Somalia has suffered from instability and violence since the overthrow of the regime of Mohamad Siad Barre in 1991. Since the mid-2000s, this conflict has largely pitted the internationally backed authorities against the Al-Shabaab militant group.

Al-Shabaab (The Youth) has its roots in the nationalist Greater Somalia concept and has been sustained by opportunistic Islamic fundamentalists and failures of governance and economic growth. Instability, militancy and weak Somali governments have brought various international interventions, from regional powers to the U.N. and U.S. Efforts to strengthen Somali governance have foundered on internal disputes.

Last year, civilian fatalities at the hands of Al-Shabaab hit their highest level since 2017, even as the African Union and other international partners worked to turn over security responsibilities to Somali security forces.

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