- In April, al-Shabaab brutally murdered 147 Christian students at Garissa College. In 2013, al-Shabaab stormed the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, killing 67.
- ISIS has been reaching out to al-Shabaab to convince them to join their growing network of terror groups.
- ISIS “affiliates” now established in at least a dozen countries, from Algeria in the West to Indonesia in the East.
“Al Shabaab expands in Kenya, begins demanding Jizya from locals, begins ‘taxing’ population,” by Michael Lucchese, Breitbart News, June 3, 2015:
Al-Shabaab, a Somali terror group, has been making waves in a big way in Kenya over the last several days.
On Tuesday, the Islamist organization took control of a village only nine miles from a military base, and today leaders from Isiolo County, in the northwest of the country, have asked the Kenyan government to investigate armed men, believed to be linked to al-Shabaab, who have erected roadblocks and are collecting “taxes” from locals.
Residents of Warankara, the village al-Shabaab is occupying, say that militants are patrolling the streets, occasionally preaching their form of Islam and hatred of the West.
They have yet to kill any civilians, but the villagers are living in constant fear of violence.
Al-Shabaab, which means “The Youth” in Arabic, is headquartered in Somalia, but after Kenyan troops invaded the failed state, the militants swore to “take the holy war to Kenya.”
Tuesday’s invasion is another in a series of intense activity in the last few weeks for al-Shabaab. On May 26, al-Shabaab militants engaged in a firefight with police, although no police were injured. They also stormed a mosque and held a congregation hostage last month.
These acts are only a small part of a wider terror campaign in Kenya, however. In April, al-Shabaab brutally murdered 147 Christian students at Garissa College. In 2013, al-Shabaab stormed the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, killing 67.
Officials are alarmed that al-Shabaab may be becoming more and more difficult to uproot from Kenya, as well.
In addition to acts of terrorism, armed men, suspected to be al-Shabaab operatives, have also apparently set up roadblocks and are extorting “taxes” from local citizens.
“Those who have erected the barriers are not the so-called bandits. This is very strange and we fear the money may be going to fund terrorism,” regional politician Nura Bila said.
If indeed the roadblocks have been set-up by al-Shabaab, the tactics they are using to raise funds are similar to some of the tactics used by ISIS.
Experts believe one of the reasons ISIS has been so successful at amassing wealth and territory is that they have been able to extricate resources through taxing the population. Al-Shabaab seems to be beginning to pursue a similar strategy in Kenya.
Al-Shabaab has previously been linked to al-Qaeda, although ISIS has apparently been reaching out to al-Shabaab to convince them to join their growing network of terror groups.
ISIS “affiliates” are a growing problem for Western security forces, as they have been established in at least a dozen countries, from Algeria in the West to Indonesia in the East.
If al-Shabaab becomes linked to ISIS, it would mean an expansion in cooperation and exchange of supplies, funds, techniques, and personnel—all of which would give al-Shabaab even more momentum in their fight against Kenya and the West.
Brian says
Those fascist Islamists are spreading like a cancer.
Tracy Holliday says
I want to thank you for keeping us informed about Kenya, and Nigeria, knowing people in these countries makes it hard to be here and see what is happening, and how tenuous the situation is. I pray God protects them .
Linde Barrera says
To Tracy Holliday- I wonder what the United Nations does to help innocent people in Africa being “invaded” by these murdering scum Muslims?
Matthieu Baudin says
Jihad in Kenya is a little like the black plague in Europe centuries ago. There is however a notable exception; the rats in Europe died off whereas in Kenya the rats are digging in and making themselves indispensable.
Angemon says
Look at those pious muslims, so closely adhering to the example of muhammad that they die their beards red.
afrostreetwise says
And imagine immediately after the massacre of our 143 university stundents in cold blood(having isolated and let go ofg moslem stundents), our majority leader of parliament Hassan duale promised to publicily avail a list of alshabaab supporters and financiers with 30 days.
After thirty days and following public pressure to produce the promised list, He finds it appropriate to insult everyone including the parents of the victims by stating ” i dont owe anyne a list” etc.-OFCOURSE ONLY THE KAFFIR WERE KILLED. SO WHATS THE BIG DEAL?
Linde Barrera says
To afrostreetwise- That so called leader who promised the list of financiers of al-shabaab is probably one of their backers. Representatives like him are a disgusting farce.
Zimriel says
The “farce” part is that Duale is allowed a say in any parliament of civilised men.
I say the same about the CAIR / Ikhwan representatives in Western parliaments. When Ellison was elected, the House should have denied him his seat.
Jumbowiwi says
He is Somali origin what do you expect? Muslims stick together. In ancient Arabia they use to say something like this “me and my father against my brother, me and my brother and my father against my neighbour, me and my brother, my father and my neighbour against the Kaffir”
profitsbeard says
It’s a franchise. A killer KFC (Kill Foolish Christians).
Sabri S. says
Wtf?!?….muslims in Somalia can’t defend themselves against Kenyan
Aggression soon and invasion….are all muslims supposed to allow themselves
To be made into “palestinians” everywhere they go. To hell with the Kenyan
Government and it’s military!!!
Zimriel says
I sometimes wonder if Sabri S. is a sock by a Jihadwatch regular, or a Mossad operative, or just some warped nitwit from good ol’ St’front.
Because it’s always here to deliver some yummy Islamic ultraviolence (“to hell with-“) wrapped in self-pity. Look what you made me do, it says; over and over again. And every time it just illustrates this site’s point.
Angemon says
Sabri S. posted:
“Wtf?!?….muslims in Somalia can’t defend themselves against Kenyan
Aggression soon and invasion”
Let’s see… According to Sabri, muslims moving from Somalia to Kenya and extorting money from the locals is “self-defense”. According to everyone else, it’s an invasion.
Keith W. Jordan says
Why, oh why, do people love terrorism so much?