‘The fear was immense’: al-Shabaab exploits fragmented politics to reclaim land in Somalia

<p>With Islamist militant group 40km from Mogadishu, a ‘strategic stalemate’ has been reached, but some fear worst is yet to come</p><p>One night in early July, Maryan Abdikadir Geedi decided it was finally time to abandon her small shop in the town of Moqokori in the Hiiraan region of Somalia.</p><p>Though she had heard of the rapid recent gains made by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/al-shabaab">al-Shabaab</a>, the Islamist militant movement, the 46-year-old had hoped to stay. Since getting married in 2013, Geedi had seen control over Moqokori change hands repeatedly.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/04/the-fear-was-immense-al-shabaab-exploits-fragmented-politics-to-reclaim-land-in-somalia">Continue reading...</a>