Somalia: Al-Shabaab invests in drone technology

NAIROBI, Kenya - Somalia-based Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab continued to put significant investment in drone technology, a strategy that senior army officials say could prolong the group's intentions fl fight the current administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

In the past few months, the group has intensified operations against the Somali National Army [SNA], African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], the US Africa Command, and innocent civilians, almost igniting a full-blown war in Hiiraan, Galgaduud, and Bay regions.

During an interview with The Military Magazine, Colonel [Rtd] David Peddle, a former military service member in South Africa and the United Kingdom, with ongoing contact in Somalia, confirmed that armed nonstate actors notably Al Shabaab have been using drones for surveillance purposes, and he believes it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing the deployment of ‘clusters’ or ‘swarms’ of drones in Africa, given their accessibility and relatively low cost.

In 2022, Al-Shabaab media claim the group used a drone to film their daredevil 2020 attack on Manda Bay base which resulted in the deaths of US Army Spc. Henry Mayfield Jr., as well as civilian contractors Dustin Harrison and Bruce Triplett. Between 30 and 40 al-Shabab fighters launched an early morning attack on Cooperative Security Location Manda Bay, the Military reports.

On September 4, 2022: Al-Shabaab released photos of the US-made ScanEagle surveillance drone designed by Insitu. Although photographs from the group suggest that the ScanEagle drones appear not to be in flying condition, nevertheless the propaganda value is significant. The tactical utility of surveillance or

The US government confirmed that Somalia’s al Shabaab militants have begun using modern technology, including drones, making their attacks on Somali government facilities even more dangerous. This was revealed by Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, Senior Advisor for Special Political Affairs, United States Mission to the United Nations [UN].

“Among new and emerging technologies, as we have heard, unmanned aerial systems [UAS] are particularly exploited by terrorist groups to facilitate attacks, conduct intelligence and develop propaganda,” he said.

As UAVs become commercially available all over the world, non-state groups in Africa with bomb-making experience and technical know-how, in general, may develop adaptions similar to what Jihadist groups have done in the Middle East over the last decade.

The fresh concerns come as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visits the United States to attend UN General Assembly. The president is set to meet senior US government officials and the current Al-Shabaab menace in the country could feature in most of the meetings.

GAROWE ONLINE