Somali Authorities Launch In-Depth Investigation into Corruption Within U.S.-Supported Elite Danab Forces
After revealing some disturbing news, Somalia’s Defense Ministry declared it would dig into why grub meant for troops went astray, signaling a wave of military clean-up efforts. “In the midst of this scrutiny, our own Somali National Armed Forces coughed up intel about Danab chow getting side-tracked within one of our squads. The FGS [Federal Government of Somalia] is dead serious about sorting this mess and has kicked off inquiries lickety-split, leading to some officers getting benched and locked up to keep things square and above board.”
Whispers in the security loop peg the sidelined officers’ tally at more than six, to keep the integrity tight. They’ll spill the beans on the probe’s findings when the dust settles.
Faced with this fiasco, the Somali authorities have stepped up to plate up for the Danab squadrons and pow-wowed with Uncle Sam on what’s to be done next.
The States, for its part, patted Danab on the back, branding them key players in Somalia’s playbook against the al-Shabaab toughs. This past February saw the U.S. dropping a cool $100 million for Danab digs across Somalia, beefing up their headcount. A pact inked in 2017 had already set the stage for schooling and arming 3,000 Danab fighters to throw down against al-Shabaab threats.
Pundits reckon this hiccup could nudge much-needed spit and polish in the Danab ranks while fretting over the squaddies’ spirit and the crowd’s cheer. “Getting the top brass tangled spells trouble for Danab’s mojo and folks’ cheer,” said Mohamed Mukhtar, a sharp mind on Somali jive, chinwagging with the BBC Somali Service.
This graft snafu rears its ugly head as Danab’s at the forefront of wresting spots back from al-Shabaab in Somalia’s midsection. Ace ops and keeping the people’s trust are tagged as must-dos for winning the long game.
This ain’t the first time Uncle Sam’s put a pause on provisions to Somalia’s military, citing iffy bookkeeping. Back in December 2017, the U.S. pulled the plug on chow and go-juice for most of Somalia’s fighting folks after tally troubles kept popping up. Still, the State Department mentioned that Washington would keep backing Somali special ops teams getting the U.S. coaching touch, Danab included.
Kicked off in 2013, the Danab Brigade got its chops from Bancroft Global Development, a shadowy bunch of war tutors from the U.S. The first class, 150 strong, wrapped up a half-year crash course in February 2014. These commandos hang their hats at Balidogle Air Force Base, with the brass getting extra book smart at the Defense Language Institute in Texas, brushing up on their English and bossing skills.
