Al Shabaab in Somalia: Between Clan and Faith

Abstract

The dominant narrative regarding the emergence of Islamist militants in the form of Harakat al-Shabaab al Mujahideen2 (Movement of the Striving Youth),3 commonly referred to as Al Shabaab (The Youth) in Somalia, is beautiful in its simplicity. In the absence of central government authority, the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) took control over much of south and central Somalia. Fears of the growing radical Islamist agenda of the UIC prompted the Ethiopian armed forces to invade the country in December 2006 with 14,000 troops.4 The rule of the UIC abruptly ended and much of its older leadership fled Somalia.5