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| 1 |
ID:
180657
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| Summary/Abstract |
In the study of terrorism, assassinations and suicide bombings have most commonly been considered as distinct phenomena. In practice, however, Al-Shabaab has shown a proclivity to use suicide bombings precisely as a means of assassination. But just how unique – if at all – is its use of suicide bombing assassinations (SBAs)? Using three unique databases on African suicide bombing combined with data from the Global Terrorism Database, this article seeks to understand the degree of uniqueness of Al-Shabaab’s SBA efforts from 2006 to 2020. In comparing Al-Shabaab to its nearest analogues – Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) – across five different SBA metrics, this article demonstrates how Al-Shabaab is indeed rightly considered to be unique in its tendency to use suicide bombings as a tool for assassinations, at least on the African continent. It concludes by considering just what rationales underlie this proclivity, focusing on group-specific and environmental factors.
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| 2 |
ID:
180656
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| Summary/Abstract |
Recent scholarship on care has continued to push the boundaries of care research beyond the Global North and beyond the usual areas of study. In the spirit of finding care in unusual and troubling places, this article examines the role of care in an unexpected location – namely, ransom kidnappings by Somali pirates. Drawing on accounts from the memoirs of former hostages, this study explores the complicated relational dynamics of care that emerge between the pirates and their hostages. In particular, it focuses on the ways in which the locations of the hostage situations shape the manner and quality of care across four geographical zones in Somalia. The analysis draws on a caringscape approach and focuses on the “bricolage of care” pieced together from available goods, the limited skills of the pirates themselves, and the skills and resources of the hostages. By providing an unflinching account of care in these difficult contexts, this article seeks a more robust understanding of the varieties of caring behavior across the human experience and a more nuanced sense of where care fits into a discussion of ethics in a globalized world.
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| 3 |
ID:
180658
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| Summary/Abstract |
This article traces the foundations, development, and evolution of Al-Shabaab’s multi-tiered media and information operations through a historical lens from proto and early Al-Shabaab media in 2006 and early 2007 up to the beginning of 2021. Arguing that the group’s media campaign is an integral part of its broader proto-state governance operations and kinetic actions, the article pays particular attention to central narrative frames aimed at domestic Somali, regional East African, and international audiences – both friendly and non-friendly – as well as to the role of media and information operations as part of the group’s domestic governance operations.
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| 4 |
ID:
180654
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| Summary/Abstract |
How can one encourage greater public cooperation with police forces and improve their legitimacy during times of protracted conflict and fragile governance? Can police militarization play a role in improving public perceptions toward law enforcement in these contexts? The prevailing perception is that police militarization undermines public opinion toward the police. Yet, there has been little empirical evaluation of the impact that militarization has on public attitudes in conflict-affected regions. Relying on original survey data collected in the city of Kismaayo, Somalia, this study examines the impact that perceived police militarization has on public perceptions toward a newly introduced police force operating in a region with an active insurgent-terrorist threat. Results of regression analysis and qualitative field interviews suggest that militarization can actually improve residents’ willingness to cooperate with the police, as well as perceptions of police legitimacy. The perceived militarization of this nascent police force conveys a level of preparedness and professionalism to residents exposed to decades of conflict.
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| 5 |
ID:
180655
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| Summary/Abstract |
The political and developmental challenges confronting Somalia are entrenched and unlikely to change significantly over the next five years. This is notably so for the transfer of security and policing responsibilities from international organizations to Somali authorities. Consequently, seeking to distinguish between Somalia’s current and future challenges is an artificial exercise that has more to do with the aspirations of the international community than with local realities. Change will undoubtedly occur, but while the strategic issues dominating the international agenda in 2026 will be different from those prioritized in 2021, the underlying trends and issues influencing the goals and behavior of Somalia’s powerbrokers and significant security actors will be much the same as they are today: the security marketplace will continue to reflect the primacy of clan-based calculations and internecine rivalries. In other words, it will be business as usual.
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