A deadly surge in al Shabaab attacks across Kenya and Somalia is exposing the growing vulnerability of regional security forces and the limitations of Africa’s new peacekeeping blueprint.
On Tuesday, Kenya’s military confirmed that three soldiers were killed and several others injured after their convoy hit an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Sankuri-Kiunga Main Supply Route in Lamu County — a corridor long plagued by militant ambushes.
This latest assault follows a string of deadly operations by the Somali-based jihadist group, including a May ambush that killed five officers in Lamu’s Boni Forest and a brutal quarry attack in Mandera that left five dead.
Security analysts warn that al Shabaab’s renewed momentum is rooted in deeper structural failures, including the fragile nature of Somalia’s federal government and critical funding gaps in the African Union’s new peacekeeping mission the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which replaced ATMIS in January.
On Sunday, al Shabaab overran the strategic town of Tardo in central Somalia, forcing mass displacement and defeating government-backed clan militias. The seizure follows the group’s April capture of Adan Yabaal and a deadly suicide bombing at Mogadishu’s Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy.
“These are not isolated attacks. They reflect a broader tactical resurgence and strategic recalibration,” said Ashley Jackson, a King’s College London analyst. “This is al Shabaab’s most ambitious push in years.”
The AU mission meant to curb the threat is itself in crisis. AUSSOM began its mandate with a $96 million shortfall, lacking troops, air support, and modern equipment.
While the UN passed Resolution 2719 to allow partial funding, US resistance has stalled progress.
Kenya and Somalia have jointly appealed for urgent international funding, warning that the region’s stability hangs in the balance.
