Somalia: Al Shabaab's Pullback Does Not Mean Defeat

Somali forces on Aug. 8 declared the country's capital, Mogadishu, a "free territory" after forces from Islamist militant group al Shabaab withdrew from the city. The pullback likely was the result of the ongoing drought and famine affecting central and southern Somalia. The clans supporting al Shabaab are suffering extreme hardship in their home regions and want the fighters to return home. Meanwhile, foreign humanitarian aid to alleviate the famine has increased tensions between the movement's nationalist and transnational factions. However, this does not mean the movement has been defeated.