...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
’s asylum agency has warned that Somalia’s security situation has significantly worsened, citing deepening political divisions and growing instability that have allowed the al-Shabaab
... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...
holy warrior group to expand its influence.
The report provides an update on the security situation at both the country and regional levels. It presents an overview at the country level of the main security trends and conflict dynamics during the reference period (1 April 2025 — 31 March 2026).
In a 137-page report, the European Union Agency for Asylum said al-Shabaab had increased its presence in several regions, including Hiiraan, Middle Shabelle, Bay and Bakool, taking advantage of political disputes and weak state institutions.
The report praised Puntland
...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion...
for what it described as significant gains against the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not
reallyMoslems....
group in the Calmiskaad mountains, saying military operations in the Bari region had substantially weakened the group’s capabilities.
It also noted that
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
had increased military support to Somalia, including military equipment and combat aircraft that have participated in operations against al-Shabaab in southern Somalia, though the report said the campaign had yet to achieve decisive results.
According to the EUAA, political tensions between Somalia’s federal government and the regional administrations of Puntland and Jubaland have undermined security cooperation and complicated efforts to combat al-Shabaab. Disputes over the constitution, elections and the allocation of development projects remain unresolved, it said.
The agency further expressed concern about the financial situation of the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
mission in Somalia, warning that severe funding shortages had weakened its operational capacity against the insurgency.
The warning comes after the United States announced plans to end funding for the African Union mission in Somalia by December 2026, a move that has raised concerns about the future of international support for Somali security operations.
The report concluded that continued political fragmentation, insecurity and humanitarian challenges pose a major threat to Somalia’s stability and could enable al-Shabaab to further expand its reach across the country.