Even as the Trump administration is signaling a desire to pull back from conflict zones and other global hot spots, the first several weeks of the president’s second term have witnessed multiple kinetic strikes against the Islamic State-Somalia (IS-S) branch. Among the most concerning developments and perhaps a driving force behind the Trump administration’s early efforts to attack the group aggressively, IS-S is more focused on planning and conducting external operations than on territorial expansion. IS-S effectively functions as the key logistical node in the group’s global network, where it helps administer the General Directorate of Provinces, which serves as a critical lynchpin that facilitates the movement of money, foreign fighters, and institutional knowledge in the form of experienced trainers and military advisors. The revenues made by IS-S have been funneled through the Al-Karrar office to other Africa-based IS branches as well as Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) through various transaction mechanisms from hawala to cryptocurrencies.
Islamic State Somalia Remains a Potent Threat in the Horn of Africa and Beyond – The Soufan Center
