Somalia sends US-trained elite forces to Kenya for multinational military exercises

NAIROBI, Kenya - Somalia's elite troops from the Danab contingent are in Kenya for multinational military exercises, just as the country's national army takes over security responsibilities from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), who have started withdrawing from the country.

The ATMIS contingent is set for a full withdrawal by December 2024, but 5000 soldiers selected from various sectors have already left. By June 2024, an additional 4,000 soldiers would leave the country, officials said.

To adequately prepare the Somali soldiers, the US Africa Command organized a week's training in Nairobi under the Justified Accord, which involves multinational military cooperation in which advanced training will be in the offing.

The Somalia team left Aden Adde Airport on Friday for the training, with the exercise expected to last between February 26 and March 7. The accord is the U.S. Africa Command's largest exercise in East Africa.

“Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and hosted in Kenya, this year's exercise will bring together 1,000 personnel and units from 23 nations,” a communique from the US government revealed.

The elite soldiers are named after lightning and form part of a 2000-member brigade consisting of highly trained commandos renowned for their ability to strike with precision and high accuracy.

During the event, elite soldiers will conduct military drills on how to increase partner readiness for peacekeeping missions, crisis response, and humanitarian assistance, the command said in a statement.

“Justified Accord showcases the desire of U.S. and partner nations to increase readiness and interoperability when it comes to regional security and crisis response,” it was further explained.

The Somali National Army is undergoing radical changes, with the country also training naval and air force troops under the supervision of the US Africa Command and the ATMIS contingent. Somalia has made tremendous progress in the fight against Al-Shabaab.

GAROWE ONLINE