[All Africa] On 16 October 2011, Kenyan troops crossed the border into Somalia. The official reason was that Kenya's national security was threatened by the Somalia-based Islamist militant group, Al-Shabaab. The terrorist group had in fact carried out a number of cross-border raids during the months preceding the operation.
There's still considerable disagreement about the reasons for Kenya's military action in October 2011.
More than six years after Nairobi made the drastic move, Kenyan troops are still in Somalia and Al-Shabaab is still considered a threat to Kenya. Numerous terrorist attacks have been carried out by the Somali group, including the deadly siege on the Westgate shopping mall in 2013.
There are a number of possible explanations as to why the Kenyan authorities made the decision to engage Al-Shabaab in Somalia. These range from trying to prop up the Kenyan army's image, to currying favour with the West, to making the north east of the country safer. Some strategies have proved more successful than others. |