The Economist, in its January 7 edition, reports on the success of the Kenyan and Ethiopian military effort to defeat Al Shabaab militants in Somalia. The campaign has put Al Shabaab fighters on the defensive “for the first time in years,” and has helped give Somalia “its best chance of peace and security since 1991.”

Indeed, The Economist notes, as the Al Qaeda-backed extremists are pushed back, their tactics have become increasingly desperate. The Somali people, once intimidated by Al Shabaab, are less afraid of reprisals, and “have turned hostile” towards the terrorist group. Signs are hopeful that, thanks in large part to Kenya and Ethopia’s actions, Somalians will spend 2012 rebuilding their own livelihoods, rather than “fending off jihad.”

To read the full Economist article, please click here.