Somalia, located in the Horn of Africa, continues to be identified as one of the world’s most perilous terrorist havens, with affiliates of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda consistently perpetrating killings and extortion against the populace. Recent data from Human Rights Watch indicates that hundreds of individuals died in 2024, either due to jihadist actions or conflicts between the nation’s various clans and tribes.
Somalis frequently encounter armed roadblocks in many regions, where both terrorists and government forces extort money, contributing to daily occurrences of lawlessness and corruption.
A President again voiced strong criticism of Somalia on Wednesday, remarking, “It’s just a people walking around killing each other.” He further mused, “So Somalia is considered by many to be the worst country on Earth? I don’t know, … I haven’t been there. I won’t be there anytime soon. I hope.”
The Trump administration, operating through U.S. Africa Command, has escalated airstrikes against terrorists in Somalia by more than tenfold this year, in comparison to missions conducted under President Biden in 2024. Specifically, on November 25, ISIS-Somalia militants in the Puntland region were targeted by U.S. and Somali forces, reportedly utilizing drones and ten MH-60 helicopters. On November 28, operations struck al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab terrorists in the southern part of the country near Kismayo.
The Somali Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs reports that over 99% of the population adheres to Sunni Islam.
“Al-Shabab continues to hold significant territory in southern and central Somalia,” Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and editor of FDD’s Long War Journal, informed a digital news outlet. He elaborated that “While the exact amount has not been disclosed, in 2019 the AFRICOM commander reported that Shabab controlled about 25% of Somalia. Security has worsened since then, and Shabab undoubtedly controls more ground than it did in 2019. In areas Shabab controls, it subjects civilians to taxes and its harsh version of Sharia, or Islamic law, and it recruits, indoctrinates and trains young men to wage jihad.”
However, on the ground, a news outlet’s digital team observed a complex reality. “In Somalia, it all depends on where you are,” Mogadishu resident Samatar Talliye told the digital news outlet. He added, “The country is big, and the experiences are very different. Mogadishu is relatively safe, and it is a big city with millions of people. Business is booming, the housing market is insane, and new projects are started every day.”
Abdisamad Artan Ahmed, also a Mogadishu resident, recently conveyed to Reuters, “We have seen and heard what the U.S. has said about Somalia on social media, but the truth is that Somalia is currently one of the safest countries in East Africa. Whether in Mogadishu or other regions, Somalia is secure and stable. This is the best and safest time for the country.”
Yet, Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented that occasional terror attacks persist in the capital. Last August, HRW reported that al-Shabab “attacked a beach restaurant, killing 37 civilians and injuring over 200.”
Anna Mahjar-Barducci, project director at the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), informed a digital news outlet that there are “tangible signs of improvement in aspects of daily life in Somalia, particularly in Mogadishu.” She cautioned, “However, progress is uneven: rural and southern regions face ongoing al-Shabab threats.”
“Violence and danger is mostly in places where the government has not reached,” Talliye stated, specifying “pockets in Jubaland, South West State, Hirshabbele and Galmadug.” He noted that “The state governments are weak and mostly only control a couple of the big towns, unlike Puntland and Somaliland that control the majority of their state.”
Mahjar-Barducci underlined that “Overall safety remains precarious, with persistent al-Shabab attacks, displacement, and weak policing. These insights paint a picture of cautious normalcy in urban hubs contrasted with checkpoint-heavy, militant-influenced routines elsewhere.”
“Corruption is widespread in many government offices, and obtaining services often requires paying extra fees,” Mahjar-Barducci further elaborated. “Bribery is common across various public services. In Somalia, authority is often concentrated in the hands of the governor, mayor or district officers, and, at times, anyone who is armed.”
Al-Shabab’s financial reach is an expanding concern within all facets of Somali society. The European Union’s Agency for Asylum recently cited the U.N. Panel of Experts on Somalia’s latest 2024 report, which indicated that al-Shabab’s total financial revenue for 2023 surpassed $150 million.
The report detailed, “Among others, al-Shabab relies on the following sources of revenue: checkpoints, forced charitable or alms contributions, direct extortion of business, taxation of imports into ports, kidnappings for ransom, taxation of farm produce, livestock selling, water and irrigation resources, vehicles registration fees, operating licences fee, as well as property and business ventures in Somalia. Everything and anything is potentially a source of income.”
In Somalia, inadvertently funding al-Shabab is a common occurrence. Tricia Bacon, a former State Department counterterrorism analyst, explained to Minnesota’s Kare 11 News on November 26, “Nobody has to ‘mean’ to fund al-Shabab,” but it has become “the cost of doing business in Somalia, because the government has been so ineffective at protecting people from al-Shabab’s extortion that, you know, you don’t really have a choice of whether or not to pay.”
Talliye conceded, “Government corruption is visible and painful, but people are used to complete chaos.” This chaos arguably originated with the outbreak of civil war in 1991. A news correspondent, Eric Shawn, was reporting from Mogadishu the subsequent year.
He recalled to a digital news outlet, “There was mass starvation and no government; it was ruled at the end of an AK-47.”
“There was gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades being launched every night. The country had devolved into anarchy and total uncertainty. There was no electricity, and basic human conditions were barbaric. The result was a horrific spectacle of a human catastrophe that was man-made and totally unnecessary and so unfortunate for the innocent civilians who had to endure a hardship that was beyond comprehension.”
For many Somalis, over three decades later, freedom remains an elusive dream. Mahjar-Barducci defined this freedom as “living without fear — being able to move freely, work safely, and care for their families. It includes safety from checkpoints and clan tensions, speaking openly, running a business without intimidation and sending children to school without worry. Western audiences often misunderstand Somalia as being entirely lawless or a failed state, overlooking the resilience of its people, strong community networks, and gradual improvements in security, governance, and business opportunities.”
Talliye reflected, “People are scared of al-Shabab, and the hope is the long and painful journey towards one man, one vote. People only believe things will change when politicians are held responsible by the people.”