This infographic is the first in a series illustrating the complex dynamics between political history, religious mobilization, and geopolitical rivalries that shape contemporary Somalia.
It traces:
- The evolution of Somalia’s political and social context from the pre-colonial period of the sultanates to the civil war and the fall of Siad Barre’s regime;
- The evolution of the Somali political and social context since the civil war and the fall of Siad Barre’s regime ;
- The rise of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) and the genesis of Al-Shabaab in the 2000s ;
- The structuring of the movement, its regional alliances, and its methods of financing through control of strategic ports ;
- Foreign interventions and the role of the African Union Mission (AMISOM) in reshaping the military landscape ; and
- Internal divisions and the formation of a local branch of the Islamic State, marking a new phase of ideological and territorial competition.
It was produced in collaboration with LAAM.