The radical al Shabaab outside the Somali border

Somali militant from al Shabaab attacked with suicide bombs the Ugandan capital Kampala. There were twin explosions killing a number of 74 people, being the first terrorist attack outside the Somali borders, not counting the few attacks into the north of Kenya. The bombing was planned to take place in a restaurant known as a rugby club where people were watching the Football World Cup final as the attack happened late Sunday night.

On July 12, Monday afternoon, Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Raghe alias Sheikh Ali Dhere the spokesman of al Shabaab held a teleconference in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, declaring that al Shabaab is responsible for the two explosion in the capital of Uganda, Kampala. He stated that this acts were made for the Muslim Somalis killed in Mogadishu by peacekeepers from Uganda who were serving the African Union Mission in Somalia.

“Our aim was to inflict on the enemy a maximum damage in its own home,” said Sheikh Ali Dhere.

Al Shabaab appeared in 2005 as a part of Islamic Courts Union (ICU) which controlled most of the Horn of Africa before being banished by the military forces of Ethiopia. After the ICU abandoned the cause or fled, the young militants of al Shabaab, which means “the youth” in Arabic, under Ahmed Abdi Godane their leader waged a guerilla war against all invading forces.

Controlling most of central and southern Somalia and in good relationship with Osama Bin Laden and the al Qaeda network, al Shabaab had the necessary resources to grow. In March 2009, the young Somali militants issued a call for Muslims everywhere to help the cause and make Somalia an Islamic state. After this call and the improvement of relationship with al Qaeda, the administration of Mogadishu observed an invasion of militant fighters from abroad. The Senior African military says that the suicide bombing and the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) is a trademark for Al Qaeda and it can be seen that are used by al Shabaab.

Rashid Abdi from the International Crisis Group said the significant fact is the transformation of these militants from nationalist faction to a terrorist organization.

“If you look at the rhetoric and language and if you look at the Web sites, if you hear their preachers or their scholars speak, it is completely indistinguishable from al Qaeda leaders,” stated Rashid Abdi.

Analyst Alex Vines from the Chatham House said that the bombing was not a surprise attack; al Shabaab targeted Kampala because of the involvement of Uganda in Somalia.

“Al Shabaab are the leading point of inquiry because of its previous threats against Uganda and because of its contributions to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the presence of the EU training mission in Mogadishu,” declared Alex Vines for the CNN.
“The Young” as the al Shabaab is known  have 7000 armed men with outstanding guerrilla skills, it consists of an armed wing named Jeish Al-Usrah ( Army of Suffering), as well as religious propaganda police known as Jaysh al-Hisbah (Army of Morality).
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