Due to the political instability in Somalia, terrorism has not been fully controlled here. But still, with the help of international participants, terrorist groups like al-Shabaab have been largely controlled in Somalia. The leaders of these organizations have been arrested and many have been killed. According to an international survey, it has been found that the Somali National Army (SNA) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) jointly launched large-scale operations against the most dangerous and large terrorist organization in Somalia, Al-Shabaab. It was estimated that Al-Shabaab’s territorial control was reduced to less than 70 percent in 2011 and again to less than 30 percent in 2023.
The most military and financial support in the operations against these organizations has been given by the Gulf states, especially the United Arab Emirates. It is estimated that more than two hundred terrorist leaders and militants have been eliminated, all thanks to the good performance of Somalia’s intelligence services.
Military Operations and Territorial Gains
Somalia has launched several initiatives to retake territory from al-Shabab. For these operations, Somalia has enlisted the help of AMISOM and the military. Somalia has significantly weakened the group’s presence through a major operation, Operation Juba Corridor. With these special operations’ help, Somalia has dominated this mission and is expected to succeed very soon. Al-Shabab controlled less than 30% of the country by 2023, but Somalia has regained much of its control with military and operational support.
Intelligence and Counterterrorism Collaborations
Somalia has sought regional and global security assistance to strengthen and improve its intelligence sharing. Partnering with these agencies is to identify terrorists, thwart their missions, and help capture their leaders. This improvement and strengthening of intelligence sharing can help in taking many actions against al-Shabaab as well as control over al-Shabaab to a considerable extent.
International Partnerships and Support
There is strong support from international partners to better counter the threat of extremism in Somalia. International countries such as the United Kingdom and the European Union are fully supported by the United States against terrorism in Somalia. These countries provide training, support, and financial assistance to Somalia against terrorism. Due to this Somalia’s security forces have become stronger.
These partnerships also strengthen and leverage Somalia’s intelligence networks. Due to the strength of the security forces, terrorism can be resisted. Which is a very important step for Somali social stability and peace.
In conclusion, Somalia has had to work hard to deal with terrorism and more efforts are still needed. Thanks to the intelligence agencies of Somalia, the roots of dangerous groups like Al-Shabaab have been cut and large areas have been cleared from them. Major leaders of al-Shabaab have been killed or arrested. The financial and military support of the Gulf states also played a role in the success of these operations. It needs many more small and big operations to bring peace and order to Somalia.
