Al-Shabaab has increased its attacks on Kenyan soil. Many media outlets, including
The Guardian, reported that the militant Islamic group al-Shabaab had beheaded at least nine "non-Muslims" in coastal district village of Jima on Saturday 8 July 2017. There are no details available about how many of the victims were Christians.
Yonas Dembele, persecution analyst at World Watch Research (WWR), comments: "Attacks by al-Shabaab have been among the most serious issues the country has been facing in the last years. Attacks on Westgate, Garissa University, and the coastal region were among the most notorious. However, the attack on 8 July is different. First, al-Shabaab has not up until now been beheading targets in Kenya and so this might signal a change in tactics. Secondly, it was reported that the attackers prayed at the local mosque. This indicates that the attackers were acquainted with the area and could potentially include some local militants."
Dembele adds: "As reported by WWR on 19 April 2017, the
security vacuum created by the concentration on the upcoming election in August could leave the country open to attacks by al-Shabaab. The fact that this latest attack occurred during an election season may suggest that the attack was
politically motivated with "˜election-instigated violence aimed at displacing communities that are not seen to be favouring certain leaders' voting blocs" (Standard Media, 17 July 2017). However, such speculation can only fuel tension between the different communities in the region."
