Liquid Territoriality and Al-Shabaab

Abstract

The text presents a contribution to the study of territoriality of violent non-state actors in areas of limited internal state power projection. It presents the strategy of liquid territoriality as a survival strategy of the territorial violent non-state actors, as well as a strategy to develop protostate structures. It builds on three pillars – minimal opposition of (primarily external) state security services, support from the local population, and the ability to reflect the dynamic development of power distribution. This strategy is later applied to Al-Shabaab. This application helps us to better understand not only the territorial development of the movement but also the limits of territorial control of violent non-state actors in general.