HomeReportsBureau of CounterterrorismCountry Reports on Terrorism 2021…Somalia

# 					Country Reports on Terrorism 2021: Somalia			

 In this section										

                -  Somalia 

## Somalia

**Overview:**Al-Shabaab continued to pose a significant terrorist threat in Somalia and the wider  region in 2021, despite shared efforts by the Federal Government of Somalia, the United States,  the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and other partners to combat the group. Al Shabaab continued to leverage its influence in southern and central Somalia to extort millions of

dollars in revenue from residents and businesses, according to the UN Panel of Experts on  Somalia.

The group conducted deadly operations, including IED attacks, suicide bombings, complex  attacks against government and civilian facilities, targeted assassinations, ambushes along supply  routes, and indirect fire. There was one complex hotel attack in 2021 in which al-Shabaab’s  target appeared to have been a high-profile Somali National Army (SNA) general.

Throughout the reporting period, al-Shabaab also deployed several car bombs against tea shops  and restaurants in Mogadishu likely targeting security forces known to congregate therein. Al Shabaab tactics, techniques, and procedures focused on targeted attacks, and the group  maintained an ability to strike U.S. interests in the region. It conducted a major propaganda  campaign late in the year to increase recruitment of FTFs.

The Islamic State branch in Somalia (IS-Somalia) focused its efforts on revenue generation,  extortion activities, and low-level targeted attacks with grenades and an occasional IED in  Puntland and Mogadishu. It faced battlefield setbacks in Puntland, where the group is  concentrated, owing to pressure from al-Shabaab.

The Federal Government of Somalia made modest, localized security gains with significant  international assistance. The SNA, including the U.S.-trained Danab Advanced Infantry  Brigade, conducted clearing operations against al-Shabaab in the Benadir, Galgaduud, Lower  Jubba, Lower Shabelle, Middle Shabelle, and Mudug regions and transitioned control of some of  these areas to local authorities. Holding recovered areas remained a significant challenge,  inhibiting stabilization efforts in those areas. Political instability and logistical constraints  prevented the government from achieving more durable progress on institutional reforms, force  generation, and military operations targeting terrorists. Al-Shabaab fighters contested SNA  control of defensive positions and supply lines.

**2021 Terrorist Incidents:**Somalia experienced continual, low-intensity fighting between  government-aligned forces and terrorists in 2021. Some higher-profile terrorist incidents  included the following:

- On January 31 a car bomb detonated at the Hotel Afrik in Mogadishu, and gunmen  stormed inside, killing five persons, including an American, before security forces  responded and killed the attackers. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility.
- On March 5 an attack on the Bosasso, Puntland, jail killed seven security officers and  freed almost 400 prisoners, many of them members of al-Shabaab, which claimed  responsibility.
- On April 2 a car bomb detonated at the SNA base at Bariire in Lower Shabelle while a  simultaneous attack occurred nearby at the Awdheegle SNA base with a car bomb and  fighters. At least 48 soldiers were reportedly killed. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility.
- On May 10, a suicide bomber killed six police officers and wounded six more at a police  station in Mogadishu. An American citizen was also killed. Al-Shabaab claimed  responsibility.
- On June 28, multiple car bombs were used to assault a military base in Galmudug,  triggering a fight with government troops and armed locals, and killing an estimated 30  people, including soldiers and civilians. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility.
- On August 18 the mayor of a town in central Puntland was killed at a tea shop by a large  group of militants with firearms. IS-Somalia claimed responsibility.
- On November 25 a suicide car bomb attacked a UN convoy in Mogadishu, killing at least  eight persons and wounding 17. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility.

**Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security:**The Federal Government of Somalia and local authorities demonstrated a commitment to improve the quality of Somalia’s law  enforcement and judicial entities and made progress on U.S.-supported counterterrorism  initiatives. In 2021, the Somali Police Force (SPF) leveraged U.S. mentorship and increased its  capacity to investigate and prosecute terrorism cases. Somalia hosted an adviser through the  U.S. Watchlisting Assistance and Support Program to help develop a national-level watchlisting  system. The Federal Government of Somalia and state leadership continued to recruit and train  criminal investigators throughout the country and improve Somalis’ access to formal justice  systems.

**Countering the Financing of Terrorism:**Somalia is a member of MENAFATF. Al-Shabaab  uses Somalia-based banks and mobile money services to manage its funds. The Federal  Government of Somalia expanded its use of the Financial Reporting Center (FRC), a  government-led financial intelligence entity, to counter money laundering and the financing of  terrorism. The FRC is now capable of referring cases for investigation to the SPF and  international law enforcement and continues to monitor reports submitted by financial  institutions. U.S. funding supported the FRC’s messaging campaign through outreach activities  and the establishment of a public reporting hotline.

**Countering Violent Extremism:**The Office of the Prime Minister is responsible for  coordinating Federal Government of Somalia efforts and international support for the prevention  and countering of violent extremism (P/CVE). In 2021, the Federal Government of Somalia and  the SNA increased strategic communications that aimed to deny al-Shabaab control of public  media narratives. Somalia, with Bureau of Counterterrorism support, continued a messaging  campaign that increased enrollments in defector rehabilitation centers and created a resurrected  defector hotline.

**International and Regional Cooperation:**The Federal Government of Somalia worked with  African Union (AU) and international partners to start preparing for a new AU-led mission to  succeed the African Union mission in Somalia.

## View report by:

### On This Page

                    -  Somalia 

Tags

Bureau of African AffairsBureau of CounterterrorismCountering TerrorismCountering Violent ExtremismCounterterrorismSomaliaTerrorism

Back to Top

                - White House
                - USA.gov
                - Office of the Inspector General
                - Archives
                - Contact Us

follow us
FacebookXInstagramYouTubeFlickrGovDelivery

              - Privacy Policy
              - Accessibility Statement
              - Copyright Information
              - FOIA
              - No FEAR Act

## U.S. Department *of* State

#### The Lessons of 1989: Freedom and Our Future