Somali Government Says It Killed al-Shabaab Co-Founder

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Facts

  • The Somali government said on Sunday that it had successfully killed one of the co-founders of al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist militant group, in a joint operation with international partners the previous day. Al Shabaab didn't immediately comment on Abdullahi Nadir's death, and the insurgents claimed responsibility for a new attack on Monday.
  • Nadir was the group's chief prosecutor and was in line to replace its leader, Ahmed Diriye, who is reportedly sick.
  • In a statement, the government said it's "grateful to the Somali people and international friends whose cooperation facilitated the killing of this leader who was an enemy of the Somali nation.”
  • The US had put a $3M bounty on Nadir's head, and he was allegedly killed in Haramka village in the Middle Jubba region by an airstrike.
  • The killing comes after Somali Pres. Hassan Sheikh promised a “total war” against al-Shabaab after his election in May, and US Pres. Biden allowed the Pentagon to target a dozen suspected leaders of the group.
  • The operation was part of a redeployment of several hundred US troops, reversing former Pres. Trump’s decision to draw down US presence in the East African nation.

Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Fox44, and Times.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Global Times. The fact that Mogadishu has turned to the US, of all countries, for assistance in its fight against al-Shabaab is just another example of America's desire for regional dominance. It's certainly no coincidence that Washington decided in May to redeploy troops to Somalia under the guise of "fighting terrorism." In reality, Washington is primarily concerned with containing the growing influence of China, as well as Russia, in this strategically important region.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Foreign Policy. After Trump decided to withdraw US troops from Somalia, there was an uptick in terrorist violence. The fact that the Somali federal government is now making progress fighting al-Shabaab terrorists is primarily due to the return of US troops to the country and America's military cooperation with Mogadishu. Since al-Shabaab poses a direct threat to the US itself as well, defeating the terrorists is also a matter of national security.