Al Shabaab Militants Instilling Animosity among Villagers; Repulsed in Lamu

Event Summary

• Dozens of suspected Somali Al Shabaab fighters on Sunday 16th August 2015 sneaked into a Kenyan village and lectured locals before disappearing into a nearby forest.
• Somali based jihadists warned the locals of Basuba village in the coastal region of Lamu to shun police.
• The villagers were also told to refrain from boarding any military or police vehicles.
• Friday 22nd May, 2015 militants raided Yumbis village in NEP.
• On Tuesday 19th May, 2015 more than 20 fighters from the group raided the town of Hulugho in NEP
• Kenyan authorities have enhanced security in the coastal town against any militant invasions.

Analysis and Forecast

It has been common for Al Shabaab militants to sneak into Kenya from their Somali hideouts and hold civilians for certain lengths before fleeing again to their bases.

During the siege, the militants force civilians to listen to their sermons which are mainly aimed to stir animosity towards the Kenyan authorities. In such events, they also cause fear among the public.

OSINT sources reported a similar incident on Friday 22nd May, 2015 where the Somalia-based Al Shabab group raided Yumbis village in northeastern Kenya. The militants preached to the villagers for two hours before withdrawing

On Tuesday 19th May, 2015 more than 20 fighters from the group raided the town of Hulugho in NEP where they rounded up locals in a mosque and preached them for two hours before withdrawing.

Such incidences are Al Shabaab strategies to lure soft targets to advance their ambitions. The militant maybe trying to woo the locals in Lamu so as to get their trust and start recruiting them as time goes by. They will then use the locals who are well versed with the area to orchestrate or plan for attacks.

Kenyan security personnel have prescribed preemptive measure highly recommended by reporting any suspicious characters, activities and providing security authorities with information that will help in rooting out Al Shabaab remnants and not shunning security forces.