The Islamic State Regains Foothold in Somalia, Setting Sights on Global Influence

BALIDHIDIN, Somalia — A lone figure lay on the sun-drenched ridge, a fallen Islamic State combatant, as Somali soldiers, heavily armed and determined, wound their way to a distant cavern. Their progress brought them to a new frontier against the global menace of the Islamic State.

In the semi-autonomous region of Northeastern State, the threat has been growing. Foreign militants arrive in torrents, and these hostile infiltrators have turned Somalia into a pivotal launching pad for radical operations. By their side, money collected through extortion and fear finances other Islamic State offshoots across the globe, turning a neglected corner of Africa into a nerve center of terror. The journalists of The Washington Post ventured here to understand this shadowy enterprise.

Why does Somalia, a nation riven by poverty and political discord, carry this burden? Northeastern State’s soldiers stand alone, striving against an augury with seismic global repercussions, sans the much-needed Western assistance. Over a month into an exhaustive military campaign, they claim territorial gains — 50 outposts reclaimed, upwards of 150 enemy combatants neutralized, most of them foreigners. Yet, the cost weighs heavy. As tales of valor and sacrifice mount, questions linger: How long can they hold the line?

Reporters trod this contested soil, engaging deserters who spoke of coercion into this malevolent fold, consulted with Somali and U.S. officials, and examined captured intel. The story that emerges is one of resilience against an evolving threat. February 1 marked a pivotal intervention when President Donald Trump authorized an airstrike targeting insurgent leadership in the north. The preemptive strike against a cell planning attacks against Western assets offered a glimpse of U.S. intentions, yet more clarity is sought from the West on their future role here.

Somalia’s persistent internal rifts have often paved paths for such extremist entities to flourish. Political instability hinders efforts to reclaim the southern territories from al-Shabab and now emboldens the Islamic State in the north. According to intelligence, the local Islamic State faction diverged from al-Shabab in 2015, under the shadowy leadership of Abdulqadir Mumin, regarded as the Islamic State’s global caliph by U.S. military assessments. Their scope transcends territorial gains; instead, they’ve carved an international terrorism bulwark within the forbidding Miskad mountains.

Initially bolstered by foreign capital, the faction found ways to independently bolster their coffers, leveraging local businesses for survival, and those defiant faced brutal retaliation.

In one transformative raid early this year, U.S. Special Forces eradicated financier Bilal al-Sudani in a storied cave complex. His financial web extended as far as Afghanistan and played a malicious role in the harrowing Kabul airport bombing. Coincidentally, deeper challenges still lay ahead.

Beyond familiar weapons of war, this iteration of the Islamic State wields drones and suicide tactics, moving with deadly innovation. Last year’s brutal triumph over al-Shabab heralded their expansion, fortifying their domain in Northeastern State. Agreeing on strategies for a decisive military thrust took significant planning and painstaking negotiations. However, international political transitions and halts in foreign funding delayed progress.

The New Year’s Eve bore witness to a harrowing tactic: 12 suicide bombers obliterated a town’s peace, setting upon military and civilian targets in Dharjaale. A grim mosaic of nationalities, none of whom were Somali, executed the brutal offensive.

In light of the stark and unfolding complexities, could Northeastern State’s lone stand against the vast, unsettling resurgence of the Islamic State herald a new era in global counter-terrorism? Perhaps, bolstered with timely alliances, a pivotal shift is conceivable. As the world watches, lives hang in balance, and the rugged Northeastern State landscape remains a contested canvas for this grim global saga.

Is the world willing to witness this embattled region continue its battle alone, or will this narrative provoke a collaboration among global powers aimed at curtailing this axis of terror?

Edited By Ali Musa Axadle Times international–Monitoring