'Small, Persistent' U.S. Military Presence Approved for Somalia

A White House official said Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized a deployment of fewer than 500 troops to Somalia to conduct operations against Al-Shabaab insurgent group in a reversal of a Trump-era decision to withdraw the forces.

Before the withdrawal, the U.S. kept some 700 troops in the African nation, which has struggled with violence and instability since a 1991 coup devolved into a cycle of brutal conflict involving rival clan leaders. The insurgent group surfaced in 2006, pledging to bring stability by instituting its strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic, law. It has since grown and conducted strikes outside of Somalia, including in Kenya and Uganda.

The official declined to say where the troops would be positioned, what branch of the U.S. military they would come from, or which members of al-Shabab they might target. When asked how long this operation would last, he did not specify.

InFocus

Somali national army soldiers stand in formation during a logistics course graduation ceremony following 14 weeks training with the U.S. 10th Mountain division (file photo).

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