After Iraq and Afghanistan, US to withdraw troops from Somalia -

Washington/Mogadishu: – Following Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States has decided to reduce its military deployment even in Somalia. Officials informed that US President Trump has already issued instructions to the defence department in this respect. Currently, there are nearly 700 US soldiers in Somalia and it is said that most will be recalled or could be posted to other locations in Africa. Displeasure is being expressed from political as well as military circles regarding the Trump orders. A senior Congressman fired a salvo of criticism that withdrawal from Somalia is surrender in front of Al Qaeda and a gift to China.

On Friday, President Trump issued orders to recall most of the US soldiers from Somalia, on or before the 15th of January 2021. The defence department clarified regarding the military withdrawal from Somalia saying that some soldiers will be deployed in African countries other than east Africa. The battle of the United States, against the extremist and terrorist organisations, in Africa, will continue. Precautions are being taken even for maintaining US domination in the international power struggle.

President Trump, during his campaign for the US Presidential elections in 2016, had promised that a maximum number of US soldiers would be recalled from around the globe. Thereafter, in 2018, the then Secretary for Defence James Mattis had indicated reduction in the deployments in Africa, citing the perceived threats from China and Russia. Since then, in the last two years, the United States has started recalling its soldiers from various countries and till now, orders for a reduction in deployments in the countries Syria, Iraq, Philippines, Afghanistan and Germany have been issued. Of these, soldiers from Syria and Afghanistan are said to have been recalled.

The United States has its bases in the African countries, Libya, Somalia, Djibouti, Tunisia, South Africa, Nigeria, Niger, Congo, Kenya, Cameroon and Mali. More than 7,000 US soldiers are deployed on these bases. The biggest US military base in Africa is at Djibouti. Whereas, last year, the United States activated an airbase named ‘Airbase 201’, in Niger, in east Africa. It is being said that 600 soldiers will be deployed on this base.

Meanwhile, it has been observed that in the last few years, China, Russia and Turkey have started increasing their influence in the African continent. China has activated its first defence base in a foreign country, in Djibouti and efforts are being made to set up bases in three more African countries. Russia has increased its defence cooperation with Sudan, South Africa, Algeria, Rwanda, Nigeria and the Central African Republic. It has been revealed that a Russian naval base will be activated in Sudan, in the next few months. Whereas, as per media reports, Turkey has increased its interference in Somalia to a great extent.

Against this background, the US decision to withdraw from a strategically important country like Somalia becomes significant.