14.07.2014
July 9, 2014: UN investigators believe that al Shabaab is still raising $2-3
million a month via extortion. This is done at temporary roadblocks or by
coercing businesses to pay protection money to avoid al Shabaab attack. This
cash is essential to keep the Islamic terrorist group going because many
essential items cannot be stolen and must be paid for. While al Shabaab
income was cut sharply with the loss of ports the goods to be shipped still
must travel roads to reach the port and that's where al Shabaab gets them.
The security forces are having a hard time keeping all the roads clear of
extortionists and bandits. Many businesses prefer to pay rather than fight,
and this also aids al Shabaab. Getting rid of this sort of banditry is
difficult since it has been part of the culture for as long as anyone can
remember. Most of the time the bandits observe some rules, but groups like
al Shabaab do not as they are on a Mission from God and that calls for all
sorts of thing most Somalis would rather not endure.
In Kenya the government is having a hard time with Somalis and Kenyans who
are ethnic Somalis. These two groups are waging a terror campaign against
the government to force Kenya to withdraw peacekeepers from Somalia and, in
effect, surrender control of portions of northern Somalia where Somali
refugees have been housed. The Somalis also want the government to back off
on interfering with illegal activities by Somalis in the coastal cities.
These demands (some of them implied) are political suicide for any
politician who gives in but there are some politicians who are leaning
towards some form of surrender. This is not the first time Somalis have
waged a terror campaign to get their way with the Kenyan tribes. The British
colonial government put an end to centuries of this in the 19th century. But
the Kenyans remember and most do not want to return the pre-colonial way of
doing things, no matter how much the Somalis demand it.
July 8, 2014: In Mogadishu nine al Shabaab men attacked the presidential
compound. This started with a car bomb going off at the entrance and then at
least nine armed men got inside. Within two hours the attackers were killed.
Apparently eight of those who got inside wore explosive vests which they all
detonated. The president was not at the compound when the attack took place
and other senior officials who were got out safely. This was the second al
Shabaab attack on the presidential palace this year and the first one where
attackers got inside the compound. These attacks are mainly for propaganda
purposes, with al Shabaab using its few remaining suicide attackers to gain
maximum attention in order to assist fund raising and recruiting.
July 7, 2014: In the north (Puntland) two foreign (from Britain and France)
UN employees were shot dead by a man in a police uniform. It's unclear who
was responsible for the murder although the fact that the two victims worked
for an anti-drug project indicates it may have been a drug gang,
July 5, 2014: In Mogadishu a car bomb went off near the parliament compound,
killing four people. On the north Kenyan coast al Shabaab raided two towns
and killed 29 people.
July 4, 2014: In the southeast (lower Shabelle region) al Shabaab gunmen
were repulsed when they attacked peacekeepers and Somali soldiers. Several
of the attackers were killed.
July 3, 2014: In Mogadishu al Shabaab gunmen shot dead a member of
parliament and his bodyguard as the victim left his hotel.
July 2, 2014: The U.S. has admitted that it has had personnel in Somalia
since 2007 and that currently there are 120 Americans in Somalia. This was
no secret as it has been known for years that there was an American compound
in Somalia and occasionally there were reports of American Special Forces or
CIA personnel carrying out intelligence missions. The U.S. would never admit
there were American operatives stationed in Somalia but would acknowledge
the occasional military action.
July 1, 2014: In Mogadishu al Shabaab gunmen ambushed an army patrol, killed
three soldiers and then fled. This was the fourth such attack since Ramadan
began on June 28th.
June 30, 2014: In Mogadishu al Shabaab used a remotely controlled bomb to
kill two people.
China is reopening its Somali embassy. This facility was closed in 1991
after the government fell and nothing replaced it.
June 29, 2014: In Mogadishu al Shabaab gunmen killed two policemen and a
soldier in two attacks.
June 28, 2014: Today begins the month-long Ramadan period when all Moslems
are obliged to fast and pray. Al Shabaab promised more attacks during
Ramadan, which is typical of Islamic terrorist organizations.
June 27, 2014: In central Somalia (Beledweyne) al Shabaab attacked a
military base but were repulsed by the soldiers and peacekeepers.
June 26, 2014: In south-central Somalia (Hiran) al Shabaab attacked a hotel
used by peacekeepers and killed two Djibouti soldiers. Four of the attackers
died before the rest fled.
June 24, 2014: Without giving many details Kenya reported that its warplanes
had recently carried out attacks on two al Shabaab bases and killed at least
80 people.
June 23, 2014: In northern Kenya (Mpeketoni) al Shabaab gunmen killed five
people.
June 22, 2014: In northern Kenya (Tarbaj) at least twenty died as two Kenyan
clans (Degodia and Garre) fought near the Somali border. This battle was
over land use and cattle stealing. This violence has killed at least 80
people since May and the security forces have been unable to halt it. Over
75,000 people have fled their homes to avoid the many raids each side is
carrying out.
June 21, 2014: In Mogadishu a local journalist was killed by a bomb planted
in his car. Al Shabaab is believed responsible as the Islamic terrorists
regularly attack or intimidate journalists who do not support Islamic
terrorism.
June 18, 2014: In Mogadishu a bomb planted in a doctor's car went off
killing one person. This took place outside a hospital run by a foreign aid
group. It is unclear who was responsible.
June 17, 2014: In Kenya al Shabaab gunman attacked the coastal village of
Poromoko killing fifteen members of the security forces before fleeing. This
came two days after three vehicles full of al Shabaab gunmen attacked the
nearby coastal town of Mpeketoni. Several resort hotels were set on fire.
The gunmen also attacked a police station but were repulsed. Most of the
dead were civilians who were on the street or in crowded cafes watching the
World Cup. Total dead were about fifty. The Kenyan government caused some
confusion by blaming these two attacks on political rivals of the president.
But witnesses heard the attackers yelling in Somali as they shot down
people. Al Shabaab also publicly took credit for the two attacks.