Somalia seeks deeper counterterrorism ties with Kenya to stop Al-Shabaab exploiting porous border

Audio reading is not supported on this browser. Somalia wants Kenya to expand counterterrorism cooperation to border communities, with joint early-warning efforts aimed at tracking Al-Shabaab movements, preventing recruitment and disrupting extremist networks along the porous frontier. Somalia is calling for deeper counterterrorism cooperation with Kenya, including joint engagement with communities along the shared border, as the two countries seek to prevent Al-Shabaab militants from exploiting the porous frontier. The Head of Somalia's National Counterterrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism Centre (TUBSAN), Ali Yasin Gurbe, has proposed expanding existing military and information-sharing cooperation between the two countries to include community-based early-warning initiatives. Speaking exclusively to The Eastleigh Voice on the sidelines of the fifth Nairobi Caucus, Gurbe, the Director General of TUBSAN, said joint outreach to border communities could help residents identify extremist activities, report suspicious movements and prevent recruitment. He described communities as key players in securing the Kenya-Somalia border, arguing that the cross-border nature of Al-Shabaab's activities requires the two countries to develop joint approaches that go beyond military operations. Gurbe also proposed that future engagements be held in border communities rather than being confined to capitals such as Nairobi and Mogadishu. 'Those terror groups, they go beyond the borders. They travel; they come to Kenya and Somalia. So maybe next time we can host this conference on the border between Kenya and Somalia and discuss how those terror groups move across the borders and how we can stop that,' he said. Mr Ali Gurbe (left), Director General of Somalia's National Counter Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism Centre (TUBSAN). (Photo: Justine Ondieki) He said holding such meetings in border areas would allow security agencies to better understand the challenges facing communities while giving residents practical knowledge on how extremist groups operate. 'If the community understands their strength and how they can stop one terror person who is going to try to move from border to border, we need to teach them first to understand that they are the soldiers of the borders,' Gurbe said, adding that communities could play a greater role in disrupting extremist activity. Gurbe was attending the regional forum for the first time following his appointment to the role a year ago. He succeeded Abdullahi Mohamed Nur, who stepped down from the position to join politics. He noted that TUBSAN was already implementing early-warning programmes and community engagement initiatives and was keen to deepen cooperation with Kenya. The Somali official also called for greater information and experience sharing between the two countries, noting that Al-Shabaab's ability to operate across borders requires a coordinated regional response. He said Somalia regards Kenya as a close partner in its counterterrorism efforts, describing the two countries as neighbours that 'share common experiences and goals' and face similar threats from extremist groups. 'As the TUBSAN National Centre for Counter Terrorism and Prevention of terrorism, we are like a baby centre. Our elder brother is the National Counter Terrorism of Kenya, and so we are learning from them, and we will see how in future we can collaborate on Counter Terrorism efforts,' he said. Somalia is actively engaged in efforts to weaken Al-Shabaab through military operations while strengthening measures aimed at preventing violent extremism and building community resilience through the TUBSAN Centre. The two-day forum brought together 200 participants from 24 Member States, alongside 11 representatives of regional organisations, United Nations entities, international partners and other relevant stakeholders. The forum was held under the theme, 'Protecting Critical Infrastructure Systems and Public Spaces from Terrorism.' Kenya's National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Director, Mr Kibiego Kigen, said the caucus has grown over time, providing a stronger platform for partnerships and information sharing. 'I think the partnership has really grown beyond my belief. Locally also, the stakeholders are more. There's huge interest from government agencies, from civil society, and faith-led organisations. For us, I think that is the take-home lesson going forward. Because I think national security in the future will be more collaborative, more collegial. And I think these conversations, I think, these collaborations, dissecting ideas is for the good of society,' he said. Meanwhile, Dr Martha Njiiri, the Director of Strategic Communications at the IGAD Centre of Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, said the forum had highlighted the need for member states to adopt frameworks that anticipate terror threats before they occur. Dr Martha Njiiri, Director of Strategic Communications at the IGAD Centre of Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism. (Photo: Justine Ondieki) 'Our biggest takeaway probably is the need to invest in understanding the threats, and more so in how we can be strategically placed in matters to address how to protect critical infrastructure systems and public spaces from violent extremism and terrorism. And especially, there is a need to have our member states also see how they can have frameworks that inform how they can be able to protect these spaces from the threat,' she told The Eastleigh Voice . She also emphasised the role of strategic communications in protecting public spaces and critical infrastructure. 'Terrorist propaganda still remains key and is one issue that is used to advance how these attacks are going to happen in public spaces and critical infrastructure. Therefore, it is important that as we invest in understanding the threat, that we also see where to place strategic communication and also the critical communications as pertains to the terrorist incidents that happen,' she added. Dr Njiiri further called for broader and more sustained community involvement, noting that residents are the people who use public spaces and are often the first to know when something is amiss. 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