US NAVY SHIPS ARRIVE IN SOMALIA FOR PULLOUT OF AMERICAN TROOPS

Wed 23 December 2020:

The Pentagon has sent several naval vessels and a marine expeditionary unit off the coast of Somalia to support the withdrawal of some 700 personnel from the country, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

In November, it was announced that U.S. President Donald Trump planned to draw down U.S. troops in Somalia, part of an effort to pull back forces globally — including in Afghanistan and Iraq — before he leaves office on January 20.

The United States has approximately 700 military personnel in Somalia to train Somali troops and conduct counterterrorism missions.

The Pentagon has sought to reassure Somalis of its continued support in strengthening their forces and degrading the al-Shabab militant group.

The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island and accompanying ships arrived off the Horn of Africa on Monday, 16 days after President Donald Trump ordered the pullout of troops who had been in Somalia for years conducting operations against the Al-Shabaab militant group.

The naval group is to help relocate the US military and civilian personnel from Somalia “to other East Africa operating locations while maintaining pressure on violent extremists and supporting partner forces,” the US Africa Command said in a statement.

Samira Gaid, a national security expert in the Horn of Africa said, the U.S. drawdown exposes Somalia’s unpreparedness to assume security responsibilities, adding that its government must build a force capable of securing national land, air and sea borders and eliminating terrorist threats.

She offered an optimistic prediction: “If we double up the efforts and refocus, in 10 years, we can have that force.”

Photo: Marines load into a V-22 Osprey on the flight deck of the USS Makin Island (LHD8) as they conduct maritime operations off the coast of Somalia in support of Operation Octave Quartz (OOQ) on December 22, 2020 [Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael J Lieberknecht/US Navy via AFP]

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