Donald Trump Resigns, President Biden Agrees Relocation Of US Military In Somalia

Ilustrasi militer AS. (Wikimedia Commons/Defenseimagery.mil/SGT Eddie Siguenza)

JAKARTA - The president of the United States has approved the redeployment of their military in Somalia, becoming a key support for the country's newly elected parliamentary leader to confront insurgent groups.

The president has authorized the redeployment of fewer than 500 American troops to Somalia, US officials said Monday, after Donald Trump ordered their withdrawal during his presidency.

Previously, the United States had about 700 troops in Somalia focused on helping local forces defeat the al-Shabaab insurgency linked to al-Qaida.

"This is a repositioning of troops already in theater who have traveled in and out of Somalia episodically," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

The exact number of troops was not stated at the briefing. Meanwhile, a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity said President Biden had agreed to a request from US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to "enable a more effective fight against al Shabaab."

The Pentagon said troops would not directly engage in combat operations, but were working to train, advise and equip Somali troops.

"The Secretary's (Austin) view is that the episodic engagement model is inefficient and increasingly unsustainable," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

The changed troop presence would include fewer than 500 US troops, another US official said.

The Al Shabaab group is seeking to overthrow the government and establish its own government in Somalia, based on a strict interpretation of religious law.

The rebel group carries out frequent bombings in Mogadishu and elsewhere as part of the war against the Horn of Africa nation's central government.

"It is good news to put US troops on the ground and counterterrorism efforts can be restarted," said Colonel Ahmed Sheikh, a former commander of the elite Somali Special Forces Danab unit, which is trained by US forces.

"This will be a huge boost for the new president, he has a big task ahead," he added.

Former Somali leader Hassan Sheikh Mohamud won the presidency again in a vote by lawmakers on Sunday.

Somalia has experienced conflict and clan battles without a strong central government since the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. The government has little control outside the capital and an African Union contingent maintains an Iraqi-style "Green Zone".

While the United States has not had troops in Somalia since Trump ordered their withdrawal in December 2020, the military has occasionally carried out attacks in the country and has troops in nearby countries.