Al-Shabaab's attempt to recruit foreign fighters alienates Somalis

By Majid Ahmed in Mogadishu

December 07, 2012

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The al-Kataib Foundation, al-Shabaab's media centre, recently released a series of videos on the internet urging foreign jihadists all over the world to come and join the fight in Somalia.

  • Al-Shabaab fighters guard a crowd in Mogadishu in June 2009. After losing many of its strongholds in southern and central Somalia this year, al-Shabaab has appealed to foreign fighters to assist in its fight against the government and allied forces. [Mustafa Abdi/AFP]

    Al-Shabaab fighters guard a crowd in Mogadishu in June 2009. After losing many of its strongholds in southern and central Somalia this year, al-Shabaab has appealed to foreign fighters to assist in its fight against the government and allied forces. [Mustafa Abdi/AFP]

Al-Shabaab's focus on recruiting foreign fighters and its increasing use of the English language on social media outlets shows the militant group's receding power and its shrinking influence within Somalia, security officials and analysts say.

"The media war on the internet waged by al-Shabaab to recruit foreign fighters is a sign of the level of its desperation and failure to recruit Somalis from inside the country," said Abdullahi Abdirahman, vice president of the Somali Media Centre in Mogadishu.

In September 2011, al-Shabaab opened a Twitter account and has almost exclusively used English in all postings and press releases since then. "The fact that al-Shabaab has resorted to using English in its modern promotional activities is an indication that its target audience is not Somali people inside [the country], but rather foreigners outside of Somalia," Abdirahman said.

"After the extremist al-Shabaab failed to recruit Somalis living inside Somalia, it is trying to recruit foreigners from abroad," he said.

Hashim Ahmed, a Mogadishu-based political analyst who monitors al-Shabaab, said the group is particularly targeting foreign terrorists with Western passports who "might help expand the range of [al-Shabaab's] operations beyond Somalia".

"Through this step, al-Shabaab is trying to encourage these foreign fighters to execute terrorist operations in the countries they came from after they go back," he said.

"There are currently several foreign fighters within the ranks of al-Shabaab with Western, African and Asian citizenship," Ahmed told Sabahi, adding that it is difficult to come up with an exact number.

Last month, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said al-Shabaab has been effectively defeated in Somalia. "We have no relationship [with al-Shabaab] and we do not intend to have one with the foreign fighters in Somalia," he said on November 28th during a state visit to Ethiopia. "The only option for them is to leave the country."

Al-Shabaab faces a huge challenge in finding Somali recruits, which explains why it is trying recruit from foreign countries, said retired Colonel Omar Mohamed, an adviser to the Somali National Army.

"Somalis reject terrorism in all its shapes and forms, which is why al-Shabaab cannot, from now on, [easily] convince any Somali citizen to fight in the name of religion," Mohamed told Sabahi. "Al-Shabaab currently constitutes a foreign body that any Somali will not get close to. This is because people are aware that the group's claims of jihad and defending religion are false."

Abdikadir Yusuf, a political activist who ran for parliament in 2012 and lost, said al-Shabaab's media war stems from increasing military pressure from the Somali National Army and the African Union Mission in Somalia.

"Al-Shabaab takes its propaganda on the internet very seriously in an attempt to distract attention from its successive losses on the ground," Yusuf told Sabahi.

Since the beginning of this year, al-Shabaab has lost many of its main strongholds in southern and central Somalia, including Beledweyne, Baidoa, Hudur, Marka and Kismayo.

"As al-Shabaab has failed in convincing Somalis to bear arms and fight for its cause, so too will it fail in recruiting more foreign volunteers, particularly at a time when the group is splintering," he said.

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Reader's Comments

  • ship
    January 28, 2013 @ 02:31:35AM

    the almighty god is with al-shabaab, in military terms turning back does not mean that you have been defeated in war it is a matter of organizing oneself afresh and putting in place different methods, may al-shabaab be blessed tremendously.

  • Tendet
    January 27, 2013 @ 07:43:28AM

    Am sure the day I will set my foot on Somalia the alshabaab will regret ever initiating war on Kenya.very soon.

  • gaal dile
    January 23, 2013 @ 08:00:54AM

    Peace on you, let you not insult the Holy War fighters and fear the Lord.

  • John Mureithi
    January 16, 2013 @ 02:44:08AM

    The peace sovereignity and economic development of East Africa, Africa as a whole and the entire world is entirely determined by the total collapse of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group

  • mtumishi
    January 14, 2013 @ 06:11:10AM

    I am happy about the disintegration of Al-Shabaab. It is my prayer to GOD that they disappear completely if possible they should repent and have a good end. They no longer have strength. Their lives are in trouble

  • maxamed yare ku magac dher cab di kuus
    January 12, 2013 @ 12:47:33PM

    Peace on you. I salute you all in the Islamic way of greeting, gentlemen. In my opinion, I would like to tell Al-Shabaab that the people came to hate you because you forced them to seek refuge in foreign countries for your fear. Al-Shabaab's secret has been discovered by every country. I pray to God to punish them the way He punished Pharaoh and make the earth swallow them in wherever they are. Amen, oh God Amen. How many people have they killed? How many have they maimed? How many have they blinded? How many have chopped off hands? How many have they blew up? Oh, God do something about these people as you are the only one who have the power.

  • islam
    January 11, 2013 @ 05:05:14AM

    Partisan information is false and cannot be used to make fair judgement. Al-Shabaab are believers who are among those believers who are favored by God. They fight for the sake of God's word and God's group will never be defeated in their fight to please God and they will unconditionally go to paradise if they die. I and you who did not fight have to be judged apart from the harassment by the disbelievers in this world! And we will end up in hell in hereafter. Let's not talk ill about the people of God!

  • JOHNDOTO
    January 8, 2013 @ 08:39:37AM

    I THINK AL-SHABAAB IS TRYING TO LOOK AFTER ITS SELF INTEREST BECAUSE THEY HAVE GONE INTO GO SLOWS PLANS.

  • Kind64
    January 8, 2013 @ 04:58:44AM

    Good information atleast we are assured that their threat is minimised.

  • abdirahman
    January 7, 2013 @ 08:55:18AM

    the maiin thing is that they sit on the negosiating sit

  • Mwanaume
    January 3, 2013 @ 03:01:30PM

    This is INFIDEL propaganda. Allah is with the believers and AL-SHABAAB will not be defeated. Even those MURTADEENA of Mogadishu have foreign fighters from KENYA, UGANDA, RWANDA, ETHIOPIA, SIERRA LEONE, AMISOM, AU, UN, FRANCE, USA and OTHER PIGS, why didn't you talk about them?

  • MMM
    January 3, 2013 @ 04:11:08AM

    I pray Allah that Al-Shabaab move forward and rule Somalia and even the world Insha'Allah. Those who hate Islam live as infidels. Let Muslims live in an Islamic way do not prevent them

  • david mbithi
    January 2, 2013 @ 06:58:07AM

    Kenya let us help Somalis instead of chasing them away

  • ismail haule
    December 30, 2012 @ 09:37:28AM

    may God lead them and make light their work in fighting for Allah's religion the almighty is the one who protects them from all the infidels' evil

  • xyz
    December 29, 2012 @ 12:48:12AM

    They will never succeed & its only a matter of time they will become extinct

  • abdi
    December 28, 2012 @ 07:15:09AM

    Anyone found to be be talking ill of the holy war fighters movement; Al-Shabaab will have his tongue cut off, so be warned. I am talking to those men who mock the movement. This is a warning to those who say the movement; Al-Shabaab was ousted. Did you see weapons or vehicles belonging to the movement? Be cautious about the lies you spread or else don't blame them later. God is great.

  • JACKSON
    December 28, 2012 @ 06:47:13AM

    well done for bringing us factual news.

  • jumapilimeshaki
    December 28, 2012 @ 03:22:15AM

    the war should bestopped

  • xaji hassan
    December 27, 2012 @ 06:58:35AM

    well viewed and proofed facts that is to say Somali have leant the false gospel comflaged in the name of islam. At this very moment there are places the remains inhabit varies areas in Puntland and Galmudug we can hire sniffer dogs to frog match them from their hideout.

  • alex nyathi
    December 26, 2012 @ 12:37:51AM

    terrororism is a directionless tool of war

  • Benja - Nairobi, Kenya
    December 24, 2012 @ 02:56:17AM

    Somalis reject al shabaab, reject al quaeda, and join the rest of Africa as we step into an era of prosperity and joy for the black person...Africa is now the most resourceful continent with the most youthful population, the least polluted environment and most diverse and brilliant cultures..but if we keep making the wrong decisions we will always be dependent on our former colonialists and other users instead of being a superpower

  • kassim
    December 20, 2012 @ 08:24:17AM

    al-shabaab they were corwed what kind of jihad are thy doing what religon is that of boming children in the street

  • Malechela
    December 19, 2012 @ 03:28:00AM

    ONE-SIDED INFORMATION CANNOT BE PRODUCTIVE BECAUSE SINCE I WAS BORN I HAVE HEARD THAT AL-SHABAAB HAVE BEEN DRIVEN OUT, DESTROYED, EXPELLED. You journalists should write what is true because I don't know if AL-SHABAAB have an emblem so that you can tell us that this person here is one of them. OTHERWISE WE ARE TIRED OF ONE-SIDED INFORMATION

  • abdalle
    December 17, 2012 @ 01:02:40AM

    I think this article is totally false because al-shabab are very strong ,so and you will hear what the they do, as i thing the writer of this article he is not know more about somali , they are supporting the al-shabab troupes ok

  • ABDULLY
    December 16, 2012 @ 06:08:08AM

    THE MAIN THING IS THEY SIT AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE

  • ali
    December 15, 2012 @ 01:23:03PM

    al-shabaab cant covince somalis thats good

  • nanleeyee warfaa geedi siidaw
    December 15, 2012 @ 12:30:14AM

    Al-Shabaab has now surrendered and they have to be worked on while they are still weak. May God protect the country from Al-Shabaab because they made the country crazy. We don't want Al-Shabaab.

  • meshack kisoi
    December 12, 2012 @ 05:48:55AM

    Kenyans should be given their rights

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