Whose Peace Is It Anyway? Connecting Somali and International Peacemaking ISSUE ISSUE
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Al Shabaab's American Recruits
Al Shabaab’s American Recruits Updated: February, 2015 A wave of Americans traveling to Somalia to fight with Al Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group, was described by the FBI as one of the "highest priorities in anti-terrorism." Americans began traveling to Somalia to join Al Shabaab in 2007, around the time the group stepped up its insurgency against Somalia's transitional government and its Ethiopian supporters, who have since withdrawn. At least 50 U.S. citizens and permanent residents are believed to have joined or attempted to join or aid the group since that time. The number of Americans joining Al Shabaab began to decline in 2012, and by 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) replaced Al Shabaab as the terrorist group of choice for U.S. recruits. However, there continue to be new cases of Americans attempting to join or aid Al Shabaab. These Americans have received weapons training alongside recruits from other countries, including Britain, Australia, Sweden and Canada, and have used the training to fight against Ethiopian forces, African Union troops and the internationally-supported Transitional Federal Government in Somalia, according to court documents. Most of the American men training with Al Shabaab are believed to have been radicalized in the U.S., especially in Minneapolis, according to U.S. officials. The FBI alleges that these young men have been recruited by Al Shabaab both on the Internet and in person. One such recruit from Minneapolis, 22-year-old Abidsalan Hussein Ali, was one of two suicide bombers who attacked African Union troops on October 29, 2011. -
Towards Enhancing the Capacity of the African Union in Mediation
Towards Enhancing the Capacity of the African Union in Mediation Towards Enhancing the Capacity of the African Union in Mediation Kruschen Govender| r apporteur with Yvette nGandu 1 MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF FINLAND Towards Enhancing the Capacity of the African Union in Mediation A report based on a seminar organised by the African Union (AU) Commission, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 15 – 16 October 2009 MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF FINLAND ACCORD The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) is a non- governmental institute working throughout Africa to bring creative solutions to the challenges posed by conflict on the continent. ACCORD’s primary aim is to influence political developments by bringing conflict resolution, dialogue and institutional development to the forefront as an alternative to armed violence and protracted conflict. Acknowledgements A generous contribution by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland made the seminar organised by the African Union Commission (AUC) on 15 and 16 October 2009, and this report, possible. Additional support from the Swedish International Development Co- operation Agency (Sida) to ACCORD’s Knowledge Production Department (KPD) also assisted in the writing, editing and production of this report. The Rapporteurs Kruschen Govender is a freelance researcher working in collaboration with the Knowledge Production Department (KPD) at ACCORD. He holds an M.A. in Development Studies from the School of Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Yvette Ngandu, who contributed to this report, is currently the Coordinator of the UN- AU-RECs cooperation project in mediation, and of the Secretariat of the Panel of the Wise, with the African Union Commission’s Peace and Security Directorate. -
Improving Human Security in Africa
Improving human security in Africa ISS ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 Contents Vision and mission ........................................................................................... 1 Trustees’ letter ................................................................................................. 2 Message from the President of the International Advisory Council .................... 3 What is human security? ................................................................................. 4 The ISS at work in Africa ................................................................................ 14 Conflict prevention and risk analysis .............................................................. 16 Governance, crime and justice ...................................................................... 20 Transnational threats and international crime.................................................. 24 Conflict management and peacebuilding ....................................................... 30 African Futures project ................................................................................... 34 African Centre for Peace and Security Training ............................................... 36 Good governance at the ISS ......................................................................... 38 Financial statements 2013 ............................................................................. 42 Cover Picture: Africa Media Online/ George Philipas The vision of the ISS is a peaceful and prosperous Africa for all its people. The -
AJCR Volume 11, No.2, 2011
African Journal on Conflict Resolution Volume 11, Number 2, 2011 The African Journal on Conflict Resolution is a biannual peer-reviewed journal published by the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) for the multidisciplinary subject field of conflict resolution. It appears on the list of journals accredited by the South African Department of Education. ACCORD is a non-governmental, non-aligned conflict resolution organisation based in Durban, South Africa. ACCORD is constituted as an education trust. The journal seeks to publish articles and book reviews on subjects relating to conflict, its management and resolution, as well as peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding in Africa. It aims to be a conduit between theory and practice. Views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of ACCORD. While every attempt is made to ensure that the information published here is accurate, no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage that may arise out of the reliance of any person upon any of the information this journal contains. Copyright © 2011 ACCORD ISSN 1562-6997 All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Articles and book reviews may be submitted by e-mail, as Microsoft Word attachments, to the Managing Editor of the journal at [email protected], with a copy to [email protected]. -
Somalia Conflict Insight
PEACE & SECURITY REPORT Vol. 1 December 2019 SOMALIA CONFLICT INSIGHT ABOUT THE REPORT The purpose of this report is to provide analysis and recommendations to national, regional and continental decision makers in the implementation of peace and www.ipss-addis.org/publications security-related instruments. IPSS PEACE & SECURITY REPORT CONTENTS SITUATION ANALYSIS 2 CAUSES OF THE CONFLICT 3 ACTORS 6 DYNAMICS OF THE CONFLICT 11 RESPONSES 15 SCENARIOS 17 STRATEGIC OPTIONS 18 REFERENCES 19 SOMALIA CONFLICT TIMELINE (1960-2019) 21 CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Mesfin Gebremichael (Editor in Chief) Tsion Belay (Author) Alagaw Ababu Chedine Tazi Cynthia Happi Moussa Soumahoro Muluka Shifa Pezu Mukwakwa Tigist Kebede Feyissa EDITING, DESIGN & LAYOUT Michelle Mendi Muita (Editor) Abel B Ayalew (Design & Layout) © 2019 Institute for Peace and Security Studies | Addis Ababa University. All rights reserved. 1 SOMALIA CONFLICT INSIGHT SITUATION ANALYSIS PO G LI P DP FE U P E L E X A R P T E I C C O A T N A P I N T C A Y 13.611M 500 USD 56.5 A T B I R T H ( ) Y S E R A HU NE RE M IG Cs A H N B O D Figure 1: Country profile U E Djibouti R and demographics V S E Ethiopia Index: Unknown L IGAD O Kenya Rank: Unknown P COMESA 1 M Yemen (maritime Source: Populationdata.net. (2019) E N borders) 1 Populationdata.net. (2019, March T I N 25). Country profile/Somalia. Retrieved D ) E I X D ( H fromhttps://en.populationdata.net/ countries/somalia/ Located in the Eastern part of Africa, Somalia is one of As a result of several peace and reconciliation efforts the world’s most geographically strategic countries, by international and regional actors, a Transitional connecting the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Gulf National Government (TNG) was formed in 2000. -
CLAIMING the EASTERN BORDERLANDS After the 1997
CHAPTER SEVEN CLAIMING THE EASTERN BORDERLANDS After the 1997 Hargeysa Conference, the Somaliland state apparatus consolidated. It deepened, as the state realm displaced governance arrangements overseen by clan elders. And it broadened, as central government control extended geographically from the capital into urban centres such as Borama in the west and Bur’o in the east. In the areas east of Bur’o government was far less present or efffective, especially where non-Isaaq clans traditionally lived. Erigavo, the capital of Sanaag Region, which was shared by the Habar Yunis, the Habar Ja’lo, the Warsengeli and the Dhulbahante, was fijinally brought under formal government control in 1997, after Egal sent a delegation of nine govern- ment ministers originating from the area to sort out local government with the elders and political actors on the ground. After fijive months of negotiations, the president was able to appoint a Mayor for Erigavo and a Governor for Sanaag.1 But east of Erigavo, in the area inhabited by the Warsengeli, any claim to governance from Hargeysa was just nominal.2 The same was true for most of Sool Region inhabited by the Dhulbahante. Eastern Sanaag and Sool had not been Egal’s priority. The president did not strictly need these regions to be under his military control in order to preserve and consolidate his position politically or in terms of resources. The port of Berbera was vital for the economic survival of the Somaliland government. Erigavo and Las Anod were not. However, because the Somaliland government claimed the borders of the former British protec- torate as the borders of Somaliland, Sanaag and Sool had to be seen as under government control. -
Jihadism in Africa Local Causes, Regional Expansion, International Alliances
SWP Research Paper Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs Guido Steinberg and Annette Weber (Eds.) Jihadism in Africa Local Causes, Regional Expansion, International Alliances RP 5 June 2015 Berlin All rights reserved. © Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, 2015 SWP Research Papers are peer reviewed by senior researchers and the execu- tive board of the Institute. They express exclusively the personal views of the authors. SWP Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs Ludwigkirchplatz 34 10719 Berlin Germany Phone +49 30 880 07-0 Fax +49 30 880 07-100 www.swp-berlin.org [email protected] ISSN 1863-1053 Translation by Meredith Dale (Updated English version of SWP-Studie 7/2015) Table of Contents 5 Problems and Recommendations 7 Jihadism in Africa: An Introduction Guido Steinberg and Annette Weber 13 Al-Shabaab: Youth without God Annette Weber 31 Libya: A Jihadist Growth Market Wolfram Lacher 51 Going “Glocal”: Jihadism in Algeria and Tunisia Isabelle Werenfels 69 Spreading Local Roots: AQIM and Its Offshoots in the Sahara Wolfram Lacher and Guido Steinberg 85 Boko Haram: Threat to Nigeria and Its Northern Neighbours Moritz Hütte, Guido Steinberg and Annette Weber 99 Conclusions and Recommendations Guido Steinberg and Annette Weber 103 Appendix 103 Abbreviations 104 The Authors Problems and Recommendations Jihadism in Africa: Local Causes, Regional Expansion, International Alliances The transnational terrorism of the twenty-first century feeds on local and regional conflicts, without which most terrorist groups would never have appeared in the first place. That is the case in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Syria and Iraq, as well as in North and West Africa and the Horn of Africa. -
African Union Union Africaine União Africana Psd/Pcrd/Exp
AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE UNIÃO AFRICANA Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, P.O. Box: 3243 Tel.: (25111) 5513 822 Fax: (25111) 5519 321 Email: situationroom@africaunion.org, oau[email protected] PSD/PCRD/EXP/2(I) REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS THE 4 TH BRAINSTORMING RETREAT OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL (PSC) AND OTHER PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES TO THE AFRICAN UNION (AU) ON POSTCONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT (PCRD) IN AFRICA 45 SEPTEMBER 2005 DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA PSD/PCRD/EXP/2(I) Page 1 THE 4 TH BRAINSTORMING RETREAT OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL (PSC) AND OTHER PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES TO THE AFRICAN UNION (AU) ON POSTCONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT (PCRD) IN AFRICA 4 – 5 SEPTEMBER 2005, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA I. INTRODUCTION 1. The 4 th Brainstorming Retreat of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) and other members of the Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC) of the African Union (AU), to discuss PostConflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD), was held from 45 September at the Hilton Hotel in Durban, South Africa. The Retreat was convened to discuss experiences and lessons learnt by organizations working in the field of postconflict reconstruction and development, to deliberate on the constitutive elements of PCRD, to identify the key actors, institutional setup and coordination required, and to generate broad agreement on a roadmap for the creation of an AU framework for PCRD, which would be adaptable to different conflict situations to guide the reconstruction of countries emerging from conflict. 2. This Brainstorming Retreat was organized by the AU and was facilitated and supported by SaferAfrica. -
AJCR Volume 8 No. 1, 2008
African Journal on Conflict Resolution Volume 8, Number 1, 2008 The African Journal on Conflict Resolution is published by The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD). ACCORD is a non-governmental, non-aligned conflict resolution organisation based in Durban, South Africa. ACCORD is constituted as an education trust. Views expressed in this Journal are not necessarily those of ACCORD. While every attempt is made to ensure that the information published here is accurate, no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage that may arise out of the reliance of any person upon any of the information this journal contains. Copyright © 2008 ACCORD ISSN 1562-6997 All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts, including book reviews, may be submitted to: The Editor African Journal on Conflict Resolution c/o ACCORD Private Bag X018 Umhlanga Rocks 4320 Durban, South Africa or e-mail: [email protected] Manuscripts should be about 6 000 words in length. All references must be included. Design and layout by Immins Naudé. Contents Foreword 5 Jannie Malan The Nexus between Social Capital and Reintegration of Ex-combatants: A Case for Sierra Leone 9 Jonah Leff The Impact of Value-Orientations on Cross-cultural Encounters and Mediation: A Survey in Tanzania’s Educational System 39 Claude-Hélène Mayer, Christian Boness and Lynette Louw From Complementarity to Conflict: A Historical Analysis of Farmer-Fulbe Relations in West Africa 77 Mark Davidheiser and Aniuska M. -
Somalia: Al-Shabaab – It Will Be a Long War
Policy Briefing Africa Briefing N°99 Nairobi/Brussels, 26 June 2014 Somalia: Al-Shabaab – It Will Be a Long War I. Overview Despite the recent military surge against Somalia’s armed Islamist extremist and self- declared al-Qaeda affiliate, Al-Shabaab, its conclusive “defeat” remains elusive. The most likely scenario – already in evidence – is that its armed units will retreat to small- er, remote and rural enclaves, exploiting entrenched and ever-changing clan-based competition; at the same time, other groups of radicalised and well-trained individ- uals will continue to carry out assassinations and terrorist attacks in urban areas, in- cluding increasingly in neighbouring countries, especially Kenya. The long connec- tion between Al-Shabaab’s current leadership and al-Qaeda is likely to strengthen. A critical breakthrough in the fight against the group cannot, therefore, be achieved by force of arms, even less so when it is foreign militaries, not the Somali National Army (SNA), that are in the lead. A more politically-focused approach is required. Even as its territory is squeezed in the medium term, Al-Shabaab will continue to control both money and minds. It has the advantage of at least three decades of Salafi-Wahhabi proselytisation (daawa) in Somalia; social conservatism is already strongly entrenched – including in Somaliland and among Somali minorities in neigh- bouring states – giving it deep reservoirs of fiscal and ideological support, even with- out the intimidation it routinely employs. An additional factor is the group’s proven ability to adapt, militarily and politically – flexibility that is assisted by its leadership’s freedom from direct accountability to any single constituency. -
SOMALIA: EVSURIVG LOVG-TERM PEACE AVD Stabilitu
UN ITE D S TATE S D E PAR T M E N T O F S TATE SOMALIA: ENSURING LONG-TERM PEACE AND STABILITY “Unchecked, terrorists will continue to undermine and threaten stability and the lives of civilians inside Somalia and throughout the region. Fighting terrorism in Somalia is not our sole priority, but rather is part of a comprehensive strategy to reverse radicalization, improve governance, rule of law, democracy and human rights, and improve economic growth and job creation. This is a difficult and long-term effort in Somalia. As we encourage political dialogue, we will continue to seek to isolate those who, out of extremism, refuse dialogue and insist on violence. We will remain engaged in working with our regional partners, Somali stakeholders, to ensure a successful political process leading to the return of effective governance and lasting peace and stability.” – Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer AL-QAIDA OPERATIVES IN EAST AFRICA Mukhtar Robow (aka Abu Mansoor): Senior military Fazul Abdullah Mohammed (aka Harun Fazul): commander spokesman for al-Shabaab; provided Senior al-Qaida operative in East Africa; was indicted logistical support for al-Qaida operatives inside for his alleged involvement in the bombings of the Somalia; has called for attacks on the African Union United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, forces in Somalia. and Nairobi, Kenya, on August 7, 1998. Ahmed Abdi Godane: Senior member of al-Shabaab; Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan: Senior al-Qaida operative NO PHOTO trained and fought with al-Qaida in Afghanistan; in East Africa; Wanted for questioning in connection AVAILABLE implicated in the murders of Western aid workers in with the 2002 attacks against a hotel and an Israeli Somaliland in 2003 and 2004. -
Somalia Terror Threat
THECHRISTOPHER TERROR February 12, THREAT FROM THE TERROR THREAT FROM SOMALIA THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF AL SHABAAB CHRISTOPHER HARNISCH APPENDICES AND MAPS BY KATHERINE ZIMMERMAN FEBRUARY 12, 2010 A REPORT BY THE CRITICAL THREATS PROJECT OF THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE THE TERROR THREAT FROM SOMALIA CHRISTOPHER HARNISCH February 12, 2010 Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 IMPORTANT GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN SOMALIA 3 NOTABLE INDIVIDUALS 4 INTRODUCTION 8 ORIGINS OF AL SHABAAB 10 GAINING CONTROL, GOVERNING, AND MAINTAINING CONTROL 14 AL SHABAAB’S RELATIONSHIP WITH AL QAEDA, THE GLOBAL JIHAD MOVEMENT, AND ITS GLOBAL IDEOLOGY 19 INTERNATIONAL RECRUITING AND ITS IMPACT 29 AL SHABAAB’S INTERNATIONAL THREATS 33 THREAT ASSESSMENT AND CONCLUSION 35 APPENDIX A: TIMELINE OF MAJOR SECURITY EVENTS IN SOMALIA 37 APPENDIX B: MAJOR SUICIDE ATTACKS AND ASSASSINATIONS CLAIMED BY OR ATTRIBUTED TO AL SHABAAB 47 NOTES 51 Maps MAP OF THE HORN OF AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST 5 POLITICAL MAP OF SOMALIA 6 MAP OF ISLAMIST-CONTROLLED AND INFLUENCED AREAS IN SOMALIA 7 www.criticalthreats.org THE TERROR THREAT FROM SOMALIA CHRISTOPHER HARNISCH February 12, 2010 Executive Summary hree hundred people nearly died in the skies of and assassinations. Al Shabaab’s primary objectives at TMichigan on Christmas Day, 2009 when a Niger- the time of the Ethiopian invasion appeared to be ian terrorist attempted to blow up a plane destined geographically limited to Somalia, and perhaps the for Detroit. The terrorist was an operative of an al Horn of Africa. The group’s rhetoric and behavior, Qaeda franchise based in Yemen called al Qaeda in however, have shifted over the past two years reflect- the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).