Maritime Threats: The Interconnection of Terrorism and Organized Crime on the East African Coast

East Africa faces significant threats from terrorism, exacerbated by underdevelopment, regional conflicts, and weak maritime law enforcement. 

Terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab in Somalia and ISIS in Mozambique have capitalized on these conditions, using the Indian Ocean’s maritime domain to expand criminal activities including piracy, human trafficking, illegal fishing, and smuggling. These groups have formed deep connections with local criminal networks, further complicating counter-terrorism efforts in the region.

A recent study by the French Institute of International Relations highlights how terrorism and crime are intertwined in East Africa, particularly in Kenya’s coastal regions, which serve as hubs for terrorist recruitment and logistical support. Historically, terrorist activity in East Africa has been shaped by Al-Qaeda’s operations in the region since the 1990s, notably through the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. More recently, ISIS has leveraged local splinter groups and regional instability to establish a presence, facilitating recruitment and carrying out attacks across the region, including in Uganda, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

Maritime routes have become critical to the operations of these terrorist organizations. Al-Shabaab, for instance, has used Somali ports to fund its activities through illegal businesses such as charcoal smuggling, generating an estimated $70 to $100 million annually. Even after losing control of major ports, the group continues to engage in maritime crimes to sustain its operations. Similarly, ISIS has utilized maritime networks in both Somalia and Mozambique, collaborating with local criminal groups to smuggle arms and transport personnel via maritime routes.

Kenya’s coastal regions, in particular, demonstrate the complex relationship between crime and terrorism. Local criminal gangs have aligned with terrorist networks like Al-Shabaab, offering logistical support, protection, and refuge. This symbiosis is driven by financial incentives and the shared goal of undermining state authority, which is already weakened by corruption, poverty, and mismanagement. As a result, these coastal regions have become hotspots for illicit activities, including drug trafficking, human smuggling, and arms dealing.

The convergence of terrorism and crime in East Africa’s maritime domain poses a significant threat to regional stability. Despite international legal frameworks addressing piracy, there has been a lack of coordinated efforts to combat maritime terrorism specifically. The study underscores the need for comprehensive strategies that address the complex connections between terrorism, crime, and local communities. These efforts must account for the broader socio-economic and political contexts that enable these networks to thrive, requiring both regional cooperation and international support to effectively disrupt the maritime activities of terrorist organizations.

In conclusion, East Africa’s maritime domain is increasingly exploited by terrorist groups to finance their operations and sustain their activities, creating a dangerous nexus between crime and extremism that threatens both regional and global security.