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WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon said Friday it is withdrawing most of its US troops from Somalia on the orders of President Donald Trump, continuing a post-election push from Trump to reduce US involvement in counterterrorism missions abroad.
Without giving details, the Pentagon said in a brief statement that “the majority” of US troops and assets in Somalia will be withdrawn in early 2021. There are currently around 700 troops in that Horn of Africa nation training. and advise local forces in an extended struggle against the extremist group al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda affiliate.
Trump recently ordered the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, and was expected to withdraw some or all of the troops from Somalia. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that the future structure of the US military presence in Somalia was still under discussion.
The correct American presence, Milley said, would amount to “a relatively small footprint, relatively low cost in terms of staff numbers and in terms of money.” He did not give details but pointed out that the United States remained concerned about the threat posed by al-Shabab, which he called “an extension of al-Qaeda”, the extremist group that planned the 9/11 attacks against the United States from Afghanistan.
“They have some scope and could, if left unattended, conduct operations against not only US interests in the region but also against the homeland,” he said. “So they require attention.” Noting that Somalia remains a dangerous place for Americans, he said a CIA officer was killed there recently.
Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller made a brief visit to Somalia last week and met with US troops.
Depending on what remains of the US presence in Somalia when he takes office on January 20, President-elect Joe Biden could reverse Trump’s withdrawal or make other adjustments to reflect his counter-terrorism priorities. The US army is also present in neighboring Djibouti on the Bab al-Mandab strait.
Army General Stephen Townsend, head of the US Command for Africa, said in a written statement that the US contingent in Somalia “will decrease significantly,” but offered no details. “US forces will remain in the region and our duties and commitment to partners will remain unchanged,” he said.
“This action is not a withdrawal and the end of our efforts, but a repositioning to continue our efforts in East Africa,” he added.
Representative Jim Langevin, a Democrat from Rhode Island, criticized Trump’s withdrawal in Somalia as a “surrender to al-Qaeda and a gift from China.” Langevin is chair of the Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee.
“When US forces leave Somalia in response to today’s order, it becomes more difficult for diplomats and aid workers to help people resolve conflicts without violence and loss of life,” Langevin said. “With the upcoming elections in Somalia and the ongoing conflict in neighboring Ethiopia, the abandonment of our partners could not have come at a worse time.”
Langevin said China will use the opportunity to strengthen its influence in the Horn of Africa.
The Pentagon said the Somalia levy does not mark the end of the US counter-terrorism efforts.
“As a result of this decision, some forces could be reassigned outside of East Africa,” he said. “However, the remaining forces will be repositioned from Somalia to neighboring countries in order to allow cross-border operations by both US and partner forces to maintain pressure against violent extremist organizations operating in Somalia.”
He added: “The US will retain the ability to conduct targeted counter-terrorism operations in Somalia and gather early warnings and indicators regarding threats to the homeland.”
The nature of the threat posed by al-Shabab and the appropriate US response has been the subject of growing debate in the Pentagon, which has been looking for opportunities to shift its focus to China as a bigger long-term challenge.
A Defense Department report last week said the US Command for Africa saw a “definitive shift” this year in al-Shabab’s focus on attacking US interests in the region. Africa Command says al-Shabab is Africa’s most “dangerous” and “imminent” threat.
Image; United States Army Brig. General Damian T. Donahoe, deputy commanding general, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, center, speaks with service members during a battlefield circulation Saturday, September 5, 2020, in Somalia. No country has been involved in Somalia’s future as much as the United States, but now the Trump administration is considering withdrawing the several hundred U.S. military troops from the nation in what some experts call the worst possible time. (Senior Airman Kristin Savage / Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa via AP)
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