Al-Shabaab regains ground in Somalia as peacekeepers prepare withdrawal

After two decades of international intervention and billions in spending, Somalia faces a security vacuum as peacekeeping forces withdraw, with Al-Shabaab having regained large areas and built parallel influence. The claim of regained territory is sourced from Al Jazeera Arabic, not independently corroborated. This matters because a post-withdrawal vacuum could destabilize the Horn of Africa and enable renewed militant operations.