Thread by @criticalthreats

#AlShabaab conducted its longest-ever siege on a hotel in #Somalia’s capital on August 19, marking a stepped-up effort to destabilize the country’s new administration and derail support for its counterterrorism agenda, writes @liam_karr. criticalthreats.org/briefs/africa-…

The Hayat attack underscores #alShabaab’s continued strength in Mogadishu and the surrounding regions.

#AlShabaab likely conducted the Hayat attack to intimidate politicians and undermine support for the new Somali Federal Government administration and its counterterrorism efforts.

#AlShabaab may have targeted the Hayat Hotel to hamper responses to its cross-border offensive into #Ethiopia.

#AlShabaab has sustained activity in other areas of southern #Somalia and #Kenya, demonstrating its ability to sustain multiple resource-intensive campaigns.

President Mohamud doubled down on his preexisting counterterrorism plan after the Hayat Hotel attack, indicating that a significant shift in the administration’s counterterrorism approach is unlikely in the short term.