Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

Overview: Building upon the February 2011 offensive that began the liberation of Mogadishu
from al-Shabaab, 2012 marked another year of progress for Somalia. The Transitional Federal
Government (TFG) and its successor, the Federal Government of Somalia (elected indirectly in
September) – with the assistance of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), led by Uganda and
Burundi, as well as Ethiopian and allied Somali militia forces – secured areas neighboring
Mogadishu and drove al-Shabaab from many cities and towns in south-central Somalia. Most
notably, Kenyan forces gained primary control of the financial hub and port city of Kismayo on
September 28.
Al-Shabaab continued to control large sections of rural areas in the middle and lower Juba
regions, as well as Bay and Bakol regions, and augmented its presence in northern Somalia along
the Golis Mountains and within Puntland’s larger urban areas. Areas under al-Shabaab control
provided a permissive environment for the group to train operatives, including foreign fighters,
and plot attacks. The ability of Somali federal, local, and regional authorities to prevent and
preempt al-Shabaab terrorist attacks remained limited.
International terrorists remained in Somalia and continued to mount operations within Somalia
and in neighboring countries, particularly Kenya. Al-Shabaab suffered from internal leadership
disputes while Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed struggled to maintain control over the group’s
factions. On September 23, Hisbul Islam (HI) announced its split from al-Shabaab; HI is a
violent Islamist extremist movement headed by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, who joined al-
Shabaab and became a “spiritual advisor” in December 2010.
The TFG, partnering with Somali regional state and administration leaders in Puntland,
Galmudug, and Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaa, established permanent governmental institutions
during the year, marking the end of an eight-year transitional period of governance. This
included finalizing a provisional federal constitution, forming an 825-member National
Constituent Assembly that ratified the provisional constitution, selecting a 275-member federal
parliament, and holding speakership and presidential elections. On September 10, parliament
elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as president of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Neither the
TFG nor the newly-established Government of Somalia had effective control over some parts of
the country outside Mogadishu. Regional administrations, including Somaliland in the northwest
and Puntland in the northeast, provided essential governance functions in those areas.
2012 Terrorist Incidents: In 2012, al-Shabaab and other violent extremists conducted suicide
attacks, remote-controlled roadside bombings, kidnappings, and assassinations of government
officials, journalists, humanitarian workers, and civil society leaders throughout Somalia. Many
killings were beheadings, stonings, or other horrific public events designed to instill fear and
obedience in communities. Other al-Shabaab attacks targeted government and foreign convoys.
For example, on December 14, al-Shabaab attacked an AMISOM convoy with a car bomb in
Mogadishu, which an al-Shabaab spokesman claimed was an attempt to target individuals they
believed were American.
Al-Shabaab also conducted several attacks against Puntland security forces and their outposts on
the foothills of the Golis Mountains, which run along the Puntland-Somaliland border, to include
skirmishes in December which left over 30 dead or wounded.
Examples of high-profile al-Shabaab incidents in 2012 included:
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