AFRICOM has declared Somalia’s Al-Shabaab as al-Qaida’s largest, wealthiest, and most active global affiliate, attributing its growing power to reduced counterterrorism pressure and political dysfunction. In response, Somalia’s Federal Government (FGS) and the African Union (AU) unveiled the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a rebranded version of AMISOM, aiming to defeat Al-Shabaab within two years. ATMIS proposes intensified offensive operations, advanced weaponry, and greater security responsibilities for Somali forces. However, critics argue the plan rests on unrealistic assumptions, ignoring Somalia’s deep political divisions and the FGS’s track record of deploying elite forces for political repression rather than counterterrorism.