Somali Minister of Defense Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama at ceremony Jan. 8, 2023 during which the U.S. presented the Somalia National Army with $9 million in military aid. (Credit: US Embassy in Somalia)
By Gary Raynaldo – DIPLOMATIC TIMES
The U.S. is providing $9 million in weapons, vehicles, medical supplies and other equipment to the Somali National Army to help the Horn of Africa nation battle terror group al-Shabaab. The U.S. presented the aid to the SNA in a ceremony Jan. 8, 2023, attended by Somali Minister of Defense Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama and U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Larry André, according to AFRICOM. Aside from heavy weapons, equipment included support and construction vehicles, explosive ordinance disposal kits, medical supplies, and maintenance equipment for vehicles and weapons. Most of the supplies are already on their way to Hishabelle and Galmudug States to support SNA troops, according to AFRICOM.
“We cheer the success achieved by Somali security forces in their historic fight to liberate Somali communities suffering under al-Shabaab. This is a Somali-led and Somali-fought campaign. The United States reaffirms our commitment to support your effort.”
–U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Larry André
The U.S. presented $9 million in weapons, vehicles, medical supplies and other equipment to the Somali National Army in a ceremony Jan. 8, 2023, attended by Somali Minister of Defense Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama and U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Larry André. (Photo / U.S. Embassy in Somalia)
The weapons, including light and heavy machine guns, were purchased with U.S. Department of Defense funding. They are marked and registered pursuant to the Federal Government of Somalia’s Weapons and Ammunition Management policy, designed to account for and control weapons within the Somali security forces and weapons captured on the battlefield. AFRICOM said the weapons will support SNA-Danab battalions, including battalions currently participating in operations in Hirshabelleand Galmudug, providing an increase in the lethality and mobility of units participating in these operations.
Somalia Minister of Defense Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama thanked the U.S., saying, “Allow me to convey the appreciation of the Federal Government of Somalia to the Government of the United States of America for the continued support to Somalia’s peacebuilding process and the support for the fight against terrorism. This support comes at a critical time for our forces as we boost their capabilities to combat al-Shabaab.”
U.S. Troops Return to Somalia as Militant Islamist Violence Surges
U.S. AFRICOM Commander Gen. Michael E. Langley (left) meets with Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud with Amb. Larry André, U.S. Embassy in Somalia on Aug. 29, 2022 (Credit: africom.mil)
This is the first direct military aid to Somalia since U.S. forces returned to the Horn of Africa nation last year. Since the withdraw of military personnel from Somalia in 2020, U.S. forces have been conducting periodic engagements to train and advise Somali partners, but U.S. and partner efforts to disrupt and degrade al-Shabaab have not achieved the desired success. Militant Islamist violence in Africa has risen continuously over the past decade, doubling in just the past 3 years, according to a recent report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Roughly 95 percent of the increase in militant Islamist violence on the continent since 2019 comes from two theaters—the western Sahel and Somalia, the ACSS reports. Fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups have also been on the rise, reaching 14,635 in the past year—a nearly 50-percent increase since 2019. President Biden authorized the Department of Defense to re-deploy U.S. troops to Somalia last May to help battle al-Shabab. President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of nearly all US troops from Somalia during his final days in office. In March 2022, ranking Republican member of the Senate Armed Armed Services Committee Sen. Jim Inhofe called on the Pentagon to consider re-deploying U.S. troops to Somalia to counter the sharp rise in extremist activity by al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab terrorist group. The US had about 700 troops in the country helping local forces battle al-Shabab and Islamic State militants.
AFRICOM partners with Somali National Army Danab forces to train, advise and support Somali partners in their fight against al-Shabaab, “helping protect their people and degrade al-Shabaab’s ability to further export violence”. (Credit: AFRICOM)
