US Troops to Help Somalia Fight Al-Shabab

The US is sending “dozens” of additional troops to Somalia to train and equip the Somali National Army and the forces participating in the African Union Mission in Somalia there. This is the first time regular US troops have been deployed in Somalia since 1994, although some counter-terrorism advisers are already there. US media reported that the US military refers to such missions in Africa as “security cooperation” or “security force assistance.” Much of that effort is concentrated in neighboring Djibouti, where the US routinely conducts military training for a host of partner nations battling extremists throughout the region. The Military Times reported that Somalia is plagued by violence and devastating famine. Its President Mohammad Abdullahi Mohammad has declared the country a war zone. Al-Shabab, part of al-Qaeda, has a strong presence in many rural parts of Somalia and often stages attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, and elsewhere. The African Union has a force of about 22,000 soldiers helping Somali government fight Al-Shabab.