Africom

Somalia airstrike controversy tests U.S. credibility — and a community’s trust On a baked stretch of road outside Ceel Buh, in Somalia’s Sanaag region, a car carrying a well-known clan elder was torn apart by an airstrike on a September afternoon. The U.S. military later said it had targeted an al-Shabab arms dealer in northern Somalia. Local authorities have a starkly different account: the man killed was a peacemaker, a bridge-builder, and their friend. In a place where the title “Caaqil” carries the weight of lineage…

Rising Tensions and Targeted Operations: The Complex Landscape of U.S. Involvement in Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia — The landscape of international military engagement is shifting yet again, as U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) recently reported an indirect fire attack targeting American troops stationed near Kismayo, a pivotal city in southern Somalia. While the immediate aftermath yielded no reported casualties or damage, the significance of this incident extends beyond mere statistics, revealing a complex tapestry of local…

New AFRICOM chief in Mogadishu pledges deeper U.S. support against al-Shabaab and ISIS Mogadishu—On a humid Wednesday on the Indian Ocean, as traffic in the capital thinned for afternoon prayers, the new commander of U.S. Africa Command slipped into Villa Somalia for a first meeting with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. General Dagvin R. M. Anderson, newly in charge of America’s military footprint on the continent, promised that Washington will sustain—and sharpen—its support for Somali forces battling al-Shabaab and a…

New Strategies in Somalia: A Collaborative Fight Against Al-Shabaab MOGADISHU, Somalia — In the sunlit corridors of Mogadishu's presidential palace, a significant conversation unfolded this week. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, the new commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), to initiate a new chapter in the ongoing battle against the al-Qaida affiliate, al-Shabaab. Their discussions were more than just diplomatic niceties; they were rooted in the everyday struggles of the…

American Drone Takes a Nosedive in Somali Turf MOGADISHU, Somalia - Earlier this week, a U.S. military drone crashed in southern Somalia, as confirmed by the U.S. Africa Command. This disclosure ended swirling rumors about the machine’s ownership, pivotal in battling the Al-Shabaab insurgency. Initial chatter in the area sparked curiosity, with speculation floating around a possible Turkish drone crash in the Al-Shabaab-occupied town of Farsoley, in Lower Shabelle. This town sits about 130 km southwest of Somalia's…

FILE - U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, at the helm of U.S. Africa Command, partakes in a military drill in Agadir, Morocco, May 30, 2024. The Islamic State in Somalia has doubled its strength in the past year, reveals the head of U.S. Africa Command in a chat with VOA. “Northern Somalia is on my radar due to the uptick in ISIS numbers,” AFRICOM commander Gen. Michael Langley mentioned in a candid interview, using the acronym for the terrorist group. Langley refrained from disclosing the U.S.'s exact figures on…

US navy targets Al-Shabaab in central Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia - The U.S. Africa Command on Tuesday carried out a uncommon airstrike towards Al-Shabaab militants in central Somalia, as a part of cooperation with Somalia's companions, regardless of the January shock withdrawal 2021 from this Horn of Africa nation. Former President Donald Trump withdrew US Africa Command troops from Somalia as a…

EDITORIAL | Somalia has, in latest weeks, recorded modest however essential victories towards the malicious terrorist group al-Shabaab. And given the dimensions of the insanity expressed by the militants, something that's shot down by our troops must be celebrated. We wish to be frank in expressing our pleasure in seeing incidents by which terrorists meet their match. In spite of everything, it has been years and years of harmless bloodshed by these terror retailers. We prolong our congratulations to Particular Forces…

The U.S. Military Basic is visiting Somalia and Djibouti MOGADISHU, Somalia - The U.S. African Command Commander, Basic Stephen Townsend, ended his journey to Africa on Tuesday, visiting each Somalia and Djibouti, the place Washington has strategic pursuits, notably in the safety and growth sectors. In the course of the journey, Townsend presided over the mixed joint activity power of the Horn…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The decision to relocate US African command troops from Somalia has affected the fight against al-Shabaab militants, the United States now admits in what could inform a new review of the movement, which was constructed by former President Donald Trump. General Stephen Townsend, commander of the U.S. African Command, told the Senate on Thursday that the movement has created a lot of challenges, adding that the persecution of Al-Shabaab militants has become a bit difficult. At least 700 troops…