Somalia’s Troubles Come South

Kenya and Somalia share a border, but not economic goals. Kenya has a population of 45 million, 87 percent of whom are literate. GDP is $1800 per capita and 43 percent live below the poverty line. Somalia has 10 million people, 38 percent of whom are literate. GDP is $600 per capita and statistics on poverty are not available. Somalia militants find it easy to move across the border to attack Kenyans of meager means. In one incident, those who could not recite a verse from the Koran were shot in the head, reports the Economist in an article that suggests the terrorist group Shabab and its Kenyan affiliate al-Hijra are “seeking to drive a wedge between already divided Christian and Muslim communities.” Governments confront a dilemma on how to defend against ruthless, surprise attacks: “Nigeria, at the other end of Africa, offers a case study in what happens when the persistent low-level ravages of an Islamic insurgency are ignored. Boko Haram’s attacks there have brought the legitimacy of the state into question.” Hard-line tactics anger Muslims and could drive more to extremism. – YaleGlobal