Somalia: Al-Shabaab continues its destabilizing operations

BBC News reported on 26 September 2021 that al-Shabaab had claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb which exploded near the presidential palace in Mogadishu. The attack targeted a convoy as it waited at a busy checkpoint and killed at least seven people and injured eight others. Meanwhile, as reported by Al-Jazeera on 18 September 2021, the UN has urged "Somalia"s feuding government leaders" to resolve their disagreements and give top priority to going ahead with the long-delayed national elections. World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "Al-Shabaab continues to wreak havoc in Somalia in its quest to establish an Islamic caliphate, despite efforts to neutralize the group. The radical Islamic group holds territory in the countryside and launches frequent attacks against government and civilian targets in Mogadishu and other areas. In the territory they control, a harsh version of Sharia is implemented, including such punishments as stoning and amputation. In recent weeks, the country"s security situation has further deteriorated as government politicians have become distracted by the delayed election process and the mounting dispute between the‚ president and the prime minister. Such political disruption could well increase the potential for violence and plays into the hands of al-Shabaab and other Islamist groups seeking to destabilize the country. The minority Christian population in the country already suffers greatly from Islamic oppression and if al-Shabaab"s influence grows, their situation is bound to worsen."