Shahada News Agency

Shahada News Agency
Native name
وكالة شهادة الإخبارية
Wakālat shahādat al-ikhbārīyah
IndustryNews aggregator
Founded2013
OwnerAl-Shabaab

Shahada News Agency (Arabic: وكالة شهادة الإخبارية, romanized: Wakālat shahādat al-ikhbārīyah, Somali: Wakaalada Wararka ee Shahada) is an news agency of the militant organization, Al-Shabaab, and is used as the main disseminator for news in Arabic as well as English translations relating to attacks done by al-Shabaab and other operations including executions.[1]

History

Shahada News Agency traces its origins to the initial Al-Shabaab's daily news reports and translations through the Al-Qaeda affiliated Global Islamic Media Front platform, which used to publish daily reports staring from 2008. The first recorded report from Shahada News Agency was in 2013 and it rose to prominence in 2015 by releasing information on attacks and ambushes as well as news in Al-Shabaab controlled territory.[2][3] The agency would upload and share what it calls "exclusive" news of Al-Shabaab through its website and social media platforms.[4] It’s format is similar to that of the Amaq News Agency run by Islamic State.

Besides Al-Shabaab's media foundation for video production, Al-Kataib, Shahada News Agency is considered one of Al-Shabaab's propaganda news units with them launching accounts on Facebook, Twitter (now X), Telegram and attempts to compete against news aggregators associated with the Islamic State in the regional area of Al-Shabaab.[5] They also utilize the dark net and onion services to release news.[6] Shahada News Agency expanded their news reach further after an announcement on July 9, 2024, that it would start creating accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram, and continue to work on platforms like the encrypted invite-only platform RocketChat and newly-formed Chirpwire.[7] Through Telegram, the Shahada News Agency would create Telegram bots that would give updates on posts and news on Al-Shabaab and international relations.[8]

In 2020, the United States through the Rewards For Justice Program officially recognized Shahada News Agency as Al-Shabaab's news network, and an alias of Al-Shabaab.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Al-Shabaab's Digital Expansion: A New Era of Terror Propaganda". Tactics Institute for Security and Counter-Terrorism. 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  2. ^ Badawy, Sophia (2020-07-22). "(Report) al-Shahada News Agency (al-Shabaab): Attacks in Somalia and Kenya During the Week and the Commander of The Somali Army Survived An Attack In Mogadishu, Somalia / Kenya". TRAC. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  3. ^ Joscelyn, Thomas (2015-10-26). "Shabaab's leadership fights Islamic State's attempted expansion in East Africa". FDD's Long War Journal. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  4. ^ Ayad, Moustafa; Harrasy, Anisa; Abdullah, Mohammed A (2022). "Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State Networks on Facebook" (PDF). Under-Moderated, Unhinged and Ubiquitous. 1 (3): 13. Retrieved 2024-11-22 – via Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
  5. ^ "Al-Shabaab Continues to Expand Media Operations". Africa Defense Forum. 2024-07-30. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  6. ^ Lakomy, Miron (2024). "In Mapping Digital Jihad: Understanding the Structure and Evolution of al-Qaeda's Information Ecosystem on the Surface Web". Perspectives on Terrorism. 18 (2): 82–99. doi:10.19165/2024.6272. ISSN 2334-3745.
  7. ^ "Media Outlet Of Al-Shabab, Al-Qaeda's Affiliate In Somalia Launches Accounts On X, Facebook". Middle East Media Research Institute. 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  8. ^ "Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen's Shahada News Agency Launches Bot To Connect With Users On Telegram". Middle East Media Research Institute. 2017-07-30. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  9. ^ "Attack on Manda Bay Airfield, Kenya – Rewards For Justice". Rewards For Justice Program. Retrieved 2024-11-22.