Al-Shabab Terrorism in Kenya: Three Things to Know
Videos
from Video

Al-Shabab Terrorism in Kenya: Three Things to Know

Al-Shabab’s deadly Westgate Mall siege in Nairobi is unlikely to alter Kenya’s foreign policy, but the incident could encourage tighter U.S.-Kenya relations and reinforce Washington’s engagement with the broader region, says CFR’s Jendayi Frazer.

September 24, 2013 1:03 pm (EST)

Explainer Video

Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda–linked militant group, has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack and prolonged siege at an upscale mall in Kenya’s capital. CFR’s adjunct senior fellow for Africa studies, Jendayi Frazer, highlights three things to know about the attack and its implications for Kenyan and U.S. policy:

More From Our Experts
  • Al-Shabab’s globalization: The group claiming responsibility for the terrorist attack began as the militant wing of the Somali-based Islamic Courts Union and is affiliated with al-Qaeda in East Africa. It is a global jihadist group with combatants from all over the world, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, and particularly Somalia, says Frazer.

More on:

Kenya

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

  • Kenya’s foreign policy: "The attack on Kenya was partly a response to Kenya’s effort to work with the African Union forces in Somalia to help stabilize the new government," Frazer says. However, Kenya is not going to change its foreign policy and its Western alignment as a result.

More on:

Kenya

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

  • U.S. engagement: "U.S. policy is likely to become even more engaged, even more robust," says Frazer. President Barack Obama spoke with Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta following the Westgate mall siege, in what may be the latest sign of overcoming the "awkwardness" between the two nations. Bilateral ties have been distant as Kenyatta faces war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court.

More on:

Kenya

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

More on:

Kenya

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

Close

Top Stories on CFR

Middle East and North Africa

Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the United States’ past, present, and future policy in the Middle East.

India

The third term win for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was an unsurprising result, but the loss of Parliament seats means his party will need to work with a fragile coalition government to enact polices effectively.

United States

Record numbers of migrants seeking to cross the southern U.S. border are challenging the Joe Biden administration’s attempts to restore asylum protections. Here’s how the asylum process works.