JSPES, Vol. 38, No. 4 (Winter 2013)
pp. 425 –440

Al-Shabab’s Dangerous Affair with Al-Qaeda

Daniel E. Agbiboa

Department of International Development,
St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford

Drawing on the recent Westgate attack in Kenya, this article
critically examines al-Shabab’s deepening ties with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, arguing that this relationship has transformed it into an ultra-radical, transnational terrorist group, with links extending beyond Somalia. The article further argues that the globalising nature of the modern world, particularly the ongoing ICT (i.e. social media) revolution, easily permits the spread of terrorism beyond borders, facilitating the transformation of domestic terrorism into transnational terrorism. As such, the article observes that an effective response to terrorism today requires a coordinated agenda that fuses domestic and international strategies.