On August 23, 2010, al Shabaab launched its Ramadan offensive, named Nahayatu Muxtadiin (or “end of the apostates”), with spectacular, coordinated suicide attacks on the Presidential Palace and Muna Hotel in Mogadishu, which killed more than 100 TFG politicians and civil servants, including six parliamentarians. Over the next several weeks, however, al Shabaab suffered a series of defeats, described in more detail in Chapter Three. By mid-September, an estimated 500 to 700 al Shabaab fighters—including many top leaders—were killed, and another 2,000 were wounded. Taken together, more than 25 percent of al Shabaab’s forces had been depleted. The operation also drained the group’s coffers.36 The failure of the Ramadan offensive also exacerbated
rivalries within the al Shabaab leadership ranks, particularly between Ahmed Abdi Godane on the one hand and Mukhtar Robow, Fuad Khalaf Shongole, and Hassan Yaqubi on the other.37 One of the main proponents of the Ramadan offensive, Godane, came under withering criticism from al Shabaab commanders such as Yaqubi, Shongole, and Robow for shifting away from hit-and-run guerrilla attacks and to more-conventional operations.38 After the offensive, al Shabaab’s Shura council fractured. Anger within the organization was directed at Godane, along with subcommanders, such as Robow, for withdrawing from combat too quickly.39 As battlefield losses mounted, additional fissures opened within the organization. Osama bin Laden and al Qa’ida operative Fazul Abdullah Mohammed criticized al Shabaab and Godane for causing civilian casualties and unnecessarily killing Muslims.40
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rivalries within the al Shabaab leadership ranks, particularly between Ahmed Abdi Godane on the one hand and Mukhtar Robow, Fuad Khalaf Shongole, and Hassan Yaqubi on the other.37 One of the main proponents of the Ramadan offensive, Godane, came under withering criticism from al Shabaab commanders such as Yaqubi, Shongole, and Robow for shifting away from hit-and-run guerrilla attacks and to more-conventional operations.38 After the offensive, al Shabaab’s Shura council fractured. Anger within the organization was directed at Godane, along with subcommanders, such as Robow, for withdrawing from combat too quickly.39 As battlefield losses mounted, additional fissures opened within the organization. Osama bin Laden and al Qa’ida operative Fazul Abdullah Mohammed criticized al Shabaab and Godane for causing civilian casualties and unnecessarily killing Muslims.40
Mogadishu Map: al Shabaab's Ramadan Offensive
The Critical Threats Project has produced a map of Mogadishu depicting general areas of control in the Somali capital and highlighting re...
