Somalia works to free U.N. helicopter passengers seized by al-Shabab militants
NBCDEC 22 2023
Al-Shabab Claims Deadly Attack on Military Base in Somalia
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The Facts
Somali-based, al-Qaeda affiliate group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for an attack at the General Gordon Military Base in Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, which killed at least five people.
The deceased were identified as four members of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces — two staff warrant officers, a corporal, and a brigadier — as well as an officer from the Bahrain Defense Force.
Reuters have reported, citing an army officer, that a newly trained Somali soldier opened fire on officers at the UAE-controlled base as they gathered to pray. The gunman was shot dead at the scene.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This latest incident — a desperate and cowardly attack on UAE forces — shines a light on how important the UAE is in conflict against jihadist terrorism. It is important that such incidents do not deter Abu Dhabi from joining other actors, notably the US, to coordinate operations to tackle the threat of al-Shabab once and for all.
Establishment-critical narrative
Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden, and all of the Somali security partners in the so-called Quintet have failed to understand that counterterrorism measures alone won't help defeat al-Shabab. This attack should serve as a warning that merely containing the group is a strategy doomed to fail. Rather than deepening conflict, Somalia needs financial and moral support for stabilization and peacebuilding.