Open sources intelligence reports gathered show that Al-Shabaab recruitment drives in East Africa region continue to thrive. The Somali-based branch of Al-Qaeda has sharpened its focus on East African countries recruiting hundreds if not thousands of fighters.
Al-Shabaab recruitment especially in Kenya is facilitated by the porous border, insecurity, poverty in Muslim communities living in these areas, and increasing radicalization drives by the terror group.
Kenya Security Intelligence estimates that about 1000 Kenyan youths are members of the violent Al-Shabaab extremist group based in Somalia. Al-Shabaab recruitment poses a threat to security overtly to the East Africa region.
The objective of the recruitment, radicalization and subsequent indoctrination to Islamist violence is a strategy by Al-Qaeda to amass members besides fight to control territory citing ISIS entry in the region (ISIS in Somalia).
How Al-Shabaab Recruits and Methods They are Using
Al-Shabaab has mastered the art of manipulating Islam religion to fit its desire, atrocious activities and to lure Muslim Youth and others who may wish to convert, into the militia group.
By use of propaganda videos. The group is known to promote online propaganda to radicalize and then lure the gullible youth by misinterpreting the Qur’an to serve their particular ideology. Lately, the terror group has published several videos with teachings, calling on youths to do hijra. The videos are aimed at justifying their heinous acts terrorism as true will of Allah and that the fighters will be rewarded with martyrdom.
Fight for Muslim Land: Al-Shabaab has capitalized in claiming to be fighting for Muslim grievances in Kenya and Somalia and East Africa region at large. Through radical Sheikh and teachings, they inspire youth to join and fight to liberate their lands. For example, this Muslim land narrative has seen youth in Muslim-dominated regions like Northern Kenya; Mandera, Wajir and Garissa, Coastal counties; Lamu, Kwale and Kilifi hands of these militants.
Poverty and Hopelessness: Al-Shabaab is using some unconventional accomplices to step up attacks beyond Somalia’s borders. Widespread poverty and hopelessness mean Al-Shabaab easily tempt recruits by offering cash or promises of work. Many people have taken to social media to express their frustrations. Many youths driven by poverty and hardship back home, with promise of good money, they decide to join.
Poverty is the leading cause of radicalization among youths who feel that they ought to do anything to get out of dearth. Intelligence reports and studies have shown that most radical people, especially in East Africa, are radicalized by the terror organization with the promise of a better life and redemption from the shanty slums and the life of turmoil. Destitution among youths allows them to desert their moderate religious and political morals to adopt and practice radical views in exchange for a small pay usually embellished by recruiters
Radicalisation through social media and misconstrued Islamic teachings in madrassas: Al-Shabaab has used social media to recruit young unemployed people, the terror group also uses other ploys to enlist its members. One of them being to lure teenagers with well-paid jobs.
They are taken to training camps, given code names and taught how to make bombs and to wield weapons until they ‘graduate’ and inflict violence upon people and the state. The most prominent cause of radicalization in the modern age is etched on the economic gain or constraints experienced by potential radicals. Human nature allows people to have a price for anything which translates to the fact that if a person is adequately financially motivated, they can be influenced to do anything.
Al-Shabaab use of Kiswahili and the depiction of Swahili-speakers in its media propaganda are indicative of the insurgent movement’s desire to attract more recruits from East Africa, where Kiswahili, the language of an estimated 35 million people, is widely spoken. Kiswahili, a Bantu language, is a lingua franca in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and parts of southern Somalia.
Vulnerable and Unemployed: The terror group also targets vulnerable unemployed young people in Kenya; for example, underdeveloped North Eastern Province, which borders Somalia and is predominantly inhabited by the Somali community.
The group has also exploited local grievances, attracting impoverished young people across faiths in Kenya who feel the government has failed them. The extremists promise hefty pay for local fighters who have largely remained unemployed or poorly paid. They target those below 30 years, the biggest population and one which has been greatly affected and impacted by unemployment.
Radical Teachers/Sheikhs: Numerous Salafist religious institutions for example in Kenya are also breeding points for these youth who further evolve into Kenyan Sufi sheikhs seeking militant training. For example, radical ‘sheikhs’ such as Aboud Rogo, Makaburi and Ahmed Iman Ali have significantly contributed into Kenyan youths joining the Al-Qaeda franchise in Somalia. Ideological pursuit by the so called ‘Sheikhs’. A narrative propagated by Al-Shabaab to do hijra for a reward (martyrdom) has become a norm in their teachings.
Historical injustices and grievances: Have left people chiefly susceptible to radicalization and terror organization. Numerous intelligence reports have cited that some of the most pitilessly radical terrorists engage in violent atrocities as a way to correct injustices against them or avenge wrongdoings against them or their families.
Criminal Gangs: Open sources reports also indicate that the Somali based terror group, Al-Shabaab finds local criminal gangs fertile for recruitment of new fighters.For example, In Mombasa, Al-Shabaab has been able to lure outlawed criminal gangs such as Wakali Kwanza and Wakali Wao to join in the terror group. The firstly conduct criminal activities in their respective areas before getting favours to travel to Somalia to join the terrorist’s camps. The youths in these criminal gangs also operate as spies for Al-Shabaab.
Daughters of Al-Shabaab: In a number of occasions, Al-Shabaab target to recruit women to their camps. Due to poverty and hopelessness, thousands of young people have been recruited by Somalia’s armed group Al-Shabaab. Most vulnerable are women, as they face the highest unemployment rates. Female recruits are especially appealing for Al-Shabaab because they’re less likely to draw suspicion. They [women] are now being used to gather intelligence, to collect information, they’re being used as spies.
In summary, the promise of lucrative jobs, hefty pay is among the strategies used to lure potential recruits to join group. But corresponding human intelligence (HUMINT) gathered from Al-Shabaab returnees indicate that recruits only given fare to facilitate movement to the “workplace” and the big salary jihadists had been promised remains a dream once you are in Somalia.
A good number of youths who had been radicalised and tricked into joining the Al-Shabaab terror group in Somalia have defected and denounced the Somali-based jihadi group. The majority cited poor living conditions, mistreatment and lack of remuneration as reasons for the fallout.
Threat Outlook of the Continued Recruitment of Al-Shabaab Jihadists from the Region
Continued recruitment of jihadists from the region consequently will see terror elements being deployed to conduct attacks back to their country. Many attacks, especially in Kenya are characterized and orchestrated by fighters who are of Kenyan origin.
There will be increased security threat whereby attacks will be delocalized from frontiers areas to much more inland areas. For example, there have been reports of Al-Shabaab operatives sneaking back from Somalia into Kenya as far as Othaya Nyeri (Central Kenya) to lure youths into joining Al-Shabaab. This means they can as well plan to conduct attacks in these areas as well.
By working closely with criminal gangs and elements especially at the Kenya coastal regions, the elements will be pivotal in providing intelligence to the enemy camp by giving information regarding security forces in their areas besides providing logistical aid.
Geographical advantage. Its likely terror operatives with geographical knowledge of certain regions will be deployed to conduct ambush attacks and even to set bobby-traps to security patrol teams. This has been witnessed along Kenya-Somalia border counties where they have been planting IEDs targeting Kenyan security forces.
Homegrown terror threat will compound as these recruits will be able to gather intelligence from their places of origin and subsequently be able to use it to conduct attacks. Operatives will be able to be deployed from places of areas origin, do surveillance, plan and aid attacks whilst at the midst of the locals easily and without suspicion.
