Analysis of the new Islamic State video in Somalia.

The official media of the Islamic State (IS) published a 14:07-minute video from the province of Somalia (Wilayat al-Sumal/IS-Somalia) on 20 January 2023, entitled: “Allah is the protector of the Believers” (the title refers to a line from the Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 257).

In the past year, this is the third video to come from the province of Somalia, two were oaths of allegiance to the leaders of the Islamic State, released in March 2022 and December 2022.

On 30 July 2022, the Islamic State released a 26-minute video in the Amharic language with Arabic subtitles, entitled “In the footsteps of the conquerors”. The video shot in high quality showed the operations, training, and daily life of its Ethiopian fighters, a clear attempt to appeal to Ethiopians, Somalis, and Eritreans speaking the Amharic language to increase recruitment, fundraising, and building support in the Amharic parts of the region.

This latest release is different from the others, as the video focuses on showing the type and quality of attacks, and different types of training, as well as presenting a lengthy interview with Abu Salam al-Muhajir, a Kenyan fighter of the group.

Like all IS videos, the video is very detailed and of high audio and video quality. Below are the details.