%0 Article %A Taylor, Christian %E Semmelrock, Tanner %E McDermott, Alexandra %D 2019 %G English %@ 1864-1385 %T The cost of defection: the consequences of quitting Al-Shabaab %J International journal of conflict and violence %V 13 %P 1-12 %U http://dx.doi.org/10.4119/UNIBI/ijcv.657 %X This study investigates defections from the Al-Shabaab insurgency in Somalia. Thirty-two disengaged Al-Shabaab combatants were 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 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,