The Horn of Africa once again rocked by deadly violence.
On Monday, at least 12 people were killed when a bomb exploded at a crowded shopping mall in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. The militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.
Somalia’s homegrown terrorist group has also been unleashing violence in neighboring Kenya. Just last month, gunmen stormed the luxury Dusit D2 Hotel, in an assault that left more than 20 dead.
Despite attempts by African Union and American forces to contain the militant groups, a recent surge in violence shows that Boko Haram and Al Shabaab still remain a serious threat to the continent.
To discuss:
- Akinola Olojo is a senior researcher in transnational threats and international crime at the Institute for Security Studies.
- Mary Harper is the Africa Editor with the BBC World Service.
- Dan Joseph is the co-author of the book,”Inside Al- Shabaab, The Secret History of Al-Qaeda’s Most Powerful Ally.”
- Halima Gikandi is an independent journalist covering security, politics and human rights in East Africa.
For more:
35,000 people are seeking shelter in Cameroon after fleeing repeated attacks by Boko Haram fighters in Nigeria. The UN & partners are on the ground providing life-saving aid: https://t.co/KEyh4jOh6J pic.twitter.com/2VQsqdrEnT
— United Nations (@UN) February 5, 2019
Our latest map of Africa's militant Islamist groups covers all of 2018.
The biggest increase in activity came with AQIM's Sahel affiliates, while al Shabaab was linked to 3 times the number of violent events as Africa’s next most active group, Boko Haram.https://t.co/Uz6Us6mBw5 pic.twitter.com/mE4JRCDDI6
— Africa Center (@AfricaACSS) January 28, 2019