ABSTRACT
As an affiliate of Al-Qaeda, Al Shabaab has resisted and fought against the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia and its allies, including the African Union Mission in Somalia peacekeepers, and non-governmental aid organizations. The group is said to be more interested in their nationalistic battle against the TFG and hopes to regain control of Southern and Central regions of Somalia, which it had attacked and took over in 2006 but was overthrown by the Somali Government with the help of Ethiopian forces. The in-fighting and military pressure from the Somali Government and its allies has continued to liberate key towns from Al Shabaab. However, the group had continued to threaten neighbouring African countries and Western interests in Africa. Al Shabaab had claimed responsibility for several bombing attacks including suicide bombings in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia. The attacks had targeted Somali Government officials and their allies. They have also carried out some five coordinated suicide car bombings in October 2008 that simultaneously hit targets in two cities in northern Somalia killing about 26 people and injuring 29 others. Al Shabaab also claimed responsibility for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala (Uganda) on 11 July 2010 that killed over 70 people who gathered to watch the world cup. The USA designated this group as foreign terrorist organization and their leader as a global terrorist in 2008 (see https://www.cfr.org/somalia/al-shabaab/p18650).
