Increased Al-shabaab Attacks on Lapsset Project Jeopardizing Regional Integration

Abstract

The multi-billion-dollar Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor project has the capacity to enhance economic development and promote regional integration in Eastern Africa. However, challenges such as inadequate financing, insecurity threats, and lack of political goodwill from member states such as Ethiopia and South Sudan, have slowed down completion of the project. This commentary therefore focuses on constant security threats from targeted attacks by Al-Shabaab (a terrorist organization operating in Somalia) as one of the key areas that needs to be addressed to ensure timely completion of the project.