(CNN) -- Kenyan troops are battling the Islamic extremist group Al-Shabaab in neighboring Somalia, westerners are being targeted at Kenyan tourist resorts and fears are high of terror attacks in Nairobi. What are the reasons behind the unrest and what is likely to happen next? What is the source of the unrest? A state of near-anarchy has existed in Somalia for more than two decades: the government has little authority, violent conflict has left thousands dead, and the country has recently been hit by a devastating famine. Pirates have taken advantage of the power vacuum to prey on vessels large and small off the country's coast, but over the past few months, Al-Shabaab militants appear to have added a new tactic: kidnapping foreign tourists and aid workers in Kenya (though some in Al-Shabaab deny involvement in the abductions.) Al-Shabaab already generates tens of millions of dollars a year, much of it by controlling ports along the Somali coast, according to a recent United Nations report.
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Somali pirates have started kidnapping foreigners in Kenya as well as hijacking boats
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Last month Kenyan forces entered Somalia, saying kidnappings threatened security
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Analysts warn Kenyan forces' mission in Somalia is risky
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Conflict is likely to hinder humanitarian efforts againsnt famine in the Horn of Africa
Many worry the action will make @placeholder less safe, not more so.