Somalia's Shabab aligns with Al-Qaeda

The Shabab statement said that the "jihad of Horn of Africa must be combined with the international jihad led by the Al-Qaeda network". The message also said that the small Ras Kamboni group - led by Hassan Abdullah Hersi "al-Turki", who is accused by the United States of being a "financier of terrorism" - had joined the Shabab. Ras Kamboni was previously a part of Hizbul Islam, a rival militant Islamist group.

From an operational perspective, this move will mean very little for Somalia, given that the Shabab's insurgent campaign will continue unabated. It also suggests that the Shabab has embraced a more international agenda, a stance that may impact its claims to be acting on behalf of the Somali people, a position adopted by the more nationalist Hizbul Islam. However, given that the Shabab is already unpopular with Somalis in the areas under its control, this is unlikely to overly concern the group. Meanwhile, of concern to Hizbul Islam is the defection of one of its factions and the fragmentation of the group this move appears to suggest, particularly when contrasted with Shabab's unity behind this announcement.