SUMMARY

After the fall of the ARS/UIC (Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia/Union of Islamic Courts) in 2007, Al-Shabaab became the dominant Islamist insurgent group in Somalia, which seeks to establish caliphet. Al-Shabaab asserted itself as the main opposition to forces of the government of Somalia. However, in 2015, Islamic State (IS) started challenging Al-Shabaab's dominance by releasing propaganda videos, calling Al-Shabaab fighters to join its cause. As a response, the Amniyat, Al-Shabaab's security service, started targeting alleged IS-loyalists. This initiated the rivalry between Al-Shabaab and IS.

In October 2015, a faction of Al-Shabaab splintered and pledged allegiance to then IS-leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, under the leadership of Abdul Qadir Mumin, who was a former commander of Al-Shabaab. Few clashes occurred between the Mumin-led faction, called Abnaa ul-Calipha, and Al-Shabaab in 2015.

The Mumin-led faction was recognized by IS on 25 December 2017, announcing the creation of Wilayah (province) within Somalia, under the name of Islamic State in Somalia. Initially IS was mainly active in Gedo and Bari regions, however, as it increased its activities it expanded to other parts of Somalia. This led to renewed clashes between Al-Shabaab and IS.

On December 2018, IS claimed an ambush attack on Al-Shabaab fighters in the vicinity of Qandala town in Bari region. As a response, Al-Shabaab declared war on IS on 20 December 2018. The declaration of war caused number of clashes between the two groups in 2019.

The non-state conflict between Al-Shabaab and IS is first included in UCDP data in 2019. In early March of that year, clashes between the two groups had resulted in more than 25 battle-related deaths.