Seminar: Fremtiden for al-Shabaab og al-Qaida i Somalia

TIME: Wednesday, 31 October, 10.00 – 12.15

VENUE: Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, Strandgade 71, ground floor, Christianshavn, 1401 Copenhagen K.

When al-Shabaab and al-Qaida celebrated their official union in February 2012 many commentators and analysts saw this as a culmination of years of close relations between the two organizations.

TIME: Wednesday, 31 October, 10.00 – 12.15

VENUE: Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, Strandgade 71, ground floor, Christianshavn, 1401 Copenhagen K.

When al-Shabaab and al-Qaida celebrated their official union in February 2012 many commentators and analysts saw this as a culmination of years of close relations between the two organizations.

The fusion was a propaganda victory for both al-Shabaab and al-Qaida, but today – less than a year later − both al-Qaida and al-Shabaab are facing many challenges.

This DIIS seminar seeks to tackle both the causes and consequences of the union between al-Shabaab and al-Qaida in Somalia. In doing so, the seminar will address some of the reasons for why al-Qaida and al-Shabaab became so close in the first place.

Recently released documents from al-Qaida senior leaders and operatives in the Horn of Africa shed new light on the development of this relationship. But the seminar will also deal with how al-Shabaab is currently doing in Somalia and discuss what the future holds for the relationship between al-Shabaab and al-Qaida.

Programme:

10.00-10.05: Introduction

10.05-10.35: The Relationship between al-Shabaab and al-Qaida – the Case of Harun Fazul; Nelly Lahoud, Senior Associate, the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC), West Point, USA

10.35-11.05: Why Support the al-Shabaab?; Stig Jarle Hansen, Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway

11.05-11.20: Coffee Break

11.20-11.35: Ever Closer Union? – The Future of al-Shabaab and al-Qaida; Søren Hove, Postdoc, DIIS

11.35-12.15: Open Discussion

Chair: Søren Hove, Postdoc, DIIS

The seminar will be held in English.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Read more about the seminar and use the online registration form on the website no later than Tuesday, 30 October at 12 noon.

Please await confirmation by e-mail from DIIS for participation.