To Defeat Al Shabaab Let's Deal With Illicit Trade

I have closely followed Kenya’s (if not America’s) so-called war on terror. I took me to Somalia where I met AMISOM. Since the mounting of AMISOM in Somalia many actors have spoken about “tremendous success” in contained Al Shabaab. What is happening on the ground screams otherwise. It is common knowledge that Kenya is not safer from the threat of Al Shabaab today than it worse before its troops crossed the border in 2011 in pursuit of Al Shabaab – later joining AMISOM. Appears things are worse. Prior to 2011 we had isolated incidences of kidnapping of foreigners (tourists) in Kenyan coast, today we have frequent and more systematic killings of Kenyans especially security officers by Al Shabaab in various parts of the country with the worst affected being the heavily securitized frontier region covering Garissa, Mandera and Wajir. All is not well. All is not well. Al Shabaab remain a huge pain in Kenya’s neck just as it does Somalia and others.

Why is this? Because, I think, we are in a losing battle.

The best and surest way to dealing with Al Shabaab in Somalia is, in my well measured opinion, not bombarding but destroying an international network of organised crime (illicit trade) from which Al Shabaab funds its activities. Until Al Shabaab is minting millions of dollars from the robust underworld organised crime, no levels of bombing will stop the group's operations. At best they can only shift bases!