Some books are important, some are frustrating, and some are both important and frustrating at the same time. Stig Hansen's recent book on the Somali jihadi group al-Shabab falls into the latter category.
Al-Shabab remains, as of mid-2013, one of the most dangerous jihadi groups in the world. Though the movement is weaker now than in 2008, when it was at its peak, it still possesses the capacity to launch significant terrorist attacks in Somalia and East Africa. Interest in the group soared after its shocking attack on Nairobi's Westgate Mall in September 2013. As a result, it has attracted a flood of studies and analyses, mainly by counterterrorism experts with limited knowledge of Somalia. However, only a handful of analyses—reports by the International Crisis Group and the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia, and studies produced by analysts with close knowledge of Somalia, such as Roland Marchal, Andre Le Sage, and Matt Bryden—have been able to provide a close, contextually rich assessment of the organization.
In this context, Hansen's new book is a very welcome contribution to the small literature on a movement that is at once important and yet misunderstood. Al-Shabaab in Somalia stands out in several respects: it is the first book-length study of al-Shabab; it is by far the most detailed study of the group; it draws on actual interviews with al-Shabab members; and it is written by a scholar whose deep understanding of Somalia, and fluency in both Somali and Arabic, give him a powerful perch from which to produce a nuanced assessment of the group.
Hansen advances a number of propositions in his study, some more or less conventional, others revisionist. One of the most persistent is the argument that al-Shabab is much stronger and more cohesive than most recent analyses have allowed for. Since 2011, the group's internal problems have been well documented. It has suffered leadership rivalries, tensions between Somali and foreign jihadis, clan tensions and defections, and general decline in public support, all exacerbated by al-Shabab's poor decision making in its battles against African Union troops as well as the 2011 famine. As a result, popular belief holds that this group is fading. Hansen makes a strong case for why such conclusions of demise are premature. He demonstrates al-Shabab's internal resilience, especially within its intelligence wing, al-Amniyat, which now forms the core of al-Shabab's newly decentralized and far more clandestine terrorist networking strategy. The fact that a major armed conflict within al-Shabab's ranks exploded in the summer of 2013 might appear to negate Hansen's thesis, but for now it is too soon to tell.
The greatest strength of the book is unquestionably its command of rich detail on al-Shabab, especially Hansen's careful monitoring of media reports since 2004. This feature alone makes it an essential resource for anyone studying Somali politics and society or Islamic violent extremism. The author's phone interviews with al-Shabab figures turn out to be somewhat less revealing than many would wish, but this is hardly surprising. The overall tone of his analysis is a bit less critical of al-Shabab than many readers will find acceptable—the most egregious aspects of the group's violent tactics, some of which have even been condemned in al-Qaida's own correspondence, get a light touch.
However, the book is also frustrating. General readers with little background on Somalia will get lost in the flood of unexplained allusions. Readers looking for clearly articulated theses may also find their patience tested; the details loaded into the text are often left unharnessed by a thesis, forcing the reader to deduce what it all means. In some sections of the book, Hansen seems unwilling to reach a conclusion based on his evidence—the word “perhaps” may be used in this book more than in any other printed work in recent years. When the author does choose to make firm and clear claims, they are poorly documented. A stronger editorial hand with the manuscript could have easily fixed these problems and allowed the book to tap the full potential of Hansen's strong knowledge of his material.
