Since the collapse of dictator Siad Barre's government in 1991, a number of Islamist groups have sprung up all over Somalia and have banded together as the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC). This organisation rivals the interim government of Somalia, composed of former warlords and their factions. The present regime has been divided by internal quarrels and disagreements about the presence of external peacekeepers on Somali soil.


Considered a terror threat by Washington, the Islamists enjoy some support among Somali residents because they are successful in maintaining order. It is difficult to assess whether the Islamists constitute an actual terror threat. According to think-tank International Crisis Group, a vast majority of the Islamist groups in Somalia are ‘non-violent’ and opposed to ideological fundamentalism. However, diplomats believe extremists are operating in the country.


Fearing an expansion of Islamic fundamentalism in the horn of Africa, the Ethiopian army came to the rescue of the embattled Somali government last year, helping it oust an Islamist militia. In March, 2007, the African Union also sent some troops into the country to help restore peace and order.