This study investigates defections from the Al-Shabaab insurgency in Somalia.Thirty-two disengaged Al-Shabaab combatants were Shoulder Bags interviewed about their motivations, grievances, needs, and challenges in relation to the recruitment, defection, and post-defection phases.This paper focuses on post-defection challenges, where we found the primary concern to be lack of personal security.Without adequate security, disengaged combatants are vulnerable to being hunted and killed by Al-Shabaab.This significant threat discourages further mass and individual defections.
We also found that disengaged combatants joined and defected out of religious zeal, to fight for what they believed to be a holy Islamic cause.This same zeal led them to Console Face defect, as they came to believe Al-Shabaab was not obeying the true Islamic faith.Indiscriminate killing by Al-Shabaab disenchants its religiously pious members, creating an opportunity to encourage mass and individual defections.However, if disengaged combatants are not protected from retribution, defection will lose its appeal.