Earlier this month, one Briton was kidnapped and another murdered by what appears to be either Somali pirates or Shabaab members. The debate still seems to be up in there.
Kenyan authorities are seeking the arrest of Famau Kahale- a Kenyan fugitive that’s been on the run for more than seven years. The Daily Nation article noted that Kahale:
“defected to the other side of Somalia in 2006 and joined the former Somalia Islamic Courts and later al Shabaab. He is now a ring leader of a small group of pirates,”
It appears local Kenyan resort staff helped kidnappers abduct Judith Tebbutt. These kidnappers are believed to have sold her to pirates based in Kismayo, Somalia. It remains unclear whether these pirates are connected to al Shabab. British authorities appear to be negotiating for her ransom.
This chain of events continues to be troubling. Somali pirates up until this event had largely targeted ships in the open sea. I wonder if the increased protection of merchant ships and changes in their routes have led the pirates to seek other forms of revenue further from home- resulting in this recent kidnapping across the border in Kenya. The kidnapping will have a serious effect on Kenyan tourism; one of the few economic engines for Kenya’s coast. Additionally, if the pirates ultimately have connections with Shabab, this would suggest that Shabab likely controls the most resources in the region and can sufficiently pay for hostages and then negotiate a higher ransom. The kidnapping supply chain issue is one Alex Thurston and I discussed many months ago with regard to the Sahel.
Please let me know if you find any credible updates on this issue.