President Biden will redeploy up to 500 U.S. troops in East Africa to Somalia as the administration looks to reestablish a small presence in the country to counter al Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab.
The troops, who are being repositioned from neighboring countries, will help establish a “small, persistent U.S. military presence in Somalia,” a senior administration official told reporters on Monday.
The move, which was first reported by The New York Times, reverses the withdrawal of forces from Somalia that former President Trump ordered in December 2020.
The U.S. had 750 troops stationed in Somalia at the time, and Trump framed the decision as part of his effort to end “forever wars.” Those troops had been repositioned to neighboring countries and would move in and out to try to help with counterterrorism operations.
Al-Shabaab has grown to be al Qaeda’s largest and best-financed global affiliate, the senior administration official told reporters.
Trump’s decision to withdraw only allowed the group to grow stronger, and it has increased the tempo of its attacks in the region, including on U.S. personnel.
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Biden to redeploy up to 500 troops to Somalia https://t.co/ELQtfqLG9G pic.twitter.com/rbSsV6xeJY
— The Hill (@thehill) May 16, 2022
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