Al-Shabaab continued to pose a significant terrorist threat in Somalia and the region, despite shared efforts by the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), neighboring countries, the African Union, and other international partners to contain the threat. Al-Shabaab continued to leverage its influence in Somalia to extort millions of dollars in revenue from residents and businesses. The group regularly conducted deadly operations, including IED attacks, suicide bombings, complex attacks, targeted assassinations, ambushes along supply routes, and indirect fire. The terror group’s tactics, techniques, and procedures preserved its ability to strike U.S. interests in the region, and it conducted a major propaganda campaign distributed in local Kenyan and Ethiopian languages and dialects to increase foreign terrorist fighter recruitment.
ISIS-Somalia maintained its rivalry with al-Shabaab, frequently engaging in hostilities against each other. ISIS-Somalia remained isolated in Puntland, northern Somalia, owing to pressure from al-Shabaab, and in 2023 continued to focus on revenue generation and extortion activities. ISIS-Somalia conducted some attacks with small arms and IEDs against the FGS and Somali security forces, Puntland security forces, AU peacekeepers, and al-Shabaab elements. In 2023, ISIS-Somalia reportedly captured the towns of Bakool, Hoobato, Jaceyl, and Miiraale from al-Shabaab.
The FGS made minimal short-term security gains against al-Shabaab in 2023, with international assistance. Led by the U.S.-trained and mentored Danab Advanced Infantry Brigade, the Somali National Army (SNA) and local clan militias dubbed Ma’awisley attempted to conduct some clearance operations against al-Shabaab in Hirshabelle and Galmudug States. Holding recovered areas remained a significant challenge, as al-Shabaab recaptured territory previously liberated by the FGS. International stabilization assistance helped establish nascent governance structures, facilitated interclan reconciliation dialogues, and repaired some community infrastructure in relatively stable areas controlled by the FGS. Al-Shabaab fighters gained control of some key defensive positions and supply lines from the SNA.
2023 Terrorist Incidents: Somalia suffered continual, low-intensity conflict between government-aligned forces and terrorists in 2023 as al-Shabaab terrorists carried out hundreds of attacks throughout the country, including numerous attacks and ambushes on SNA and local defense force positions in Galmudug and Hirshabelle. The number of civilian causalities from incidents involving the group’s explosive weaponry increased greatly, compared with the previous year.
High-profile terrorist incidents included the following:
- On January 4, al-Shabaab killed at least 35 people and wounded at least 40 others in the Maxaas District of Hiraan using one car bomb and a second bomb of unconfirmed type, possibly targeting local politicians and Somali security forces.
- On January 22, six al-Shabaab terrorists conducted a complex attack, including a suicide bomber and gunmen, at the Mogadishu Mayor’s Office, killing four and injuring 29 civilians.
- On May 26, al-Shabaab overran an African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) forward operating base at Buulo Mareer, some 60 miles southwest of Mogadishu, killing 54 Ugandan soldiers. Al-Shabaab seized weapons from the base and reportedly used them in subsequent terrorist attacks.
- On June 9, al-Shabaab perpetrated a complex attack at the Pearl Beach Hotel on Lido Beach in Mogadishu when two suicide bombers detonated, followed by several hours of fighting between al-Shabaab terrorists and Somali security forces. Six civilians and six security personnel were killed, and approximately 30 people were injured.
- On September 23, al-Shabaab killed 38 people and injured at least 47 with a truck bomb in Beledweyne, Hiraan, at a checkpoint near commercial kiosks where Somali security forces and civilians were gathered.
Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: The FGS and local authorities demonstrated a continued commitment to improve Somalia’s law enforcement and judicial entities and made progress on U.S.-supported counterterrorism initiatives. In 2023 the Somali Police Force and judiciary leveraged U.S. mentorship and increased its capacity to investigate and prosecute terrorism cases. Legislation on counterterrorism, the National Intelligence and Security Agency Act, and the National Identification and Registration Act were signed into law in 2023.
Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Somalia is a member of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), and its Financial Intelligence Unit is the Financial Reporting Center. In March the Federal Government of Somalia announced it had seized $7 million in accounts and shut down 670 telephone numbers and 110 merchant accounts linked to al-Shabaab, one of FGS’s largest counterthreat finance actions in recent history.
Countering Violent Extremism: The Office of the Prime Minister is responsible for coordinating FGS efforts and international support for countering violent extremism. On October 18, the prime minister opened the Tubsan Center for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism to “coordinate interagency PCVE efforts, raise awareness about the risks of extremism, prevent recruitment and radicalization, and effectively combat extremism through a holistic, collaborative approach.” The FGS has gathered religious leaders to counter al-Shabaab religious narratives. In 2023, U.S. support enabled continuance of a messaging and hotline campaign that boosted enrollments in defector rehabilitation centers.
International and Regional Cooperation: The mandate of ATMIS, endorsed and authorized by the UN Security Council in resolution 2628, was extended in UNSCR 2710. Drawdown of ATMIS forces began with the withdrawal of 2,000 troops in 2023.
U.S. Department of State.