At the end of 2022, the Somali government circulated an informal verbal communication to media houses, urging local news outlets to submit content for approval prior to broadcasting. This was at the height of a sustained military campaign against Al-Shabaab and observers saw it as a move to curtail the publication of any content associated with the insurgents. But the government says it’s an effort to match the Islamist’s propaganda machine.
Throughout its existence, Al-Shabaab has managed to produce captivating propaganda material targeting local populations, the wider East Africa, and international audiences.
The group is adept at psychological operations (PSYOPS) messaging and takes advantage of government inefficiencies in communications – mostly in regard to casualty figures and the chronology of attacks – to provide its own narrative about the situation on the ground.
Mohamed Sheikh Nor
Source: https://www.theafricareport.com
