ABSTRACT
Al-Shabaab (“The Youth” in Arabic) originated in Somalia as a Somali-based militant group and spread its influence in the East African region and beyond. Al-Shabaab's primary areas of operation are Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti, Tanzania, and Uganda. The group has become a regional security threat and it is necessary to explore Al-Shabaab's use of transnational terror and recruitment drives. This chapter identifies Al-Shabaab's primary sources of revenue which are mainly derived from illicit proceeds from its occupation of territory and external financial flows from exploiting social networks, diaspora remittances, and other forms of illegal sources. It also identifies how funds are raised and used by Al-Shabaab and seeks to understand Al-Shabaab funding strategies and financial flows in order to disrupt financial flows in countering terrorist financing. Internal revenues to Al-Shabaab are dependent on the changing social, economic, and political contexts of Somalia.
