President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to withdraw nearly all of the 700 U.S. troops stationed in Somalia by early next year, the Department of Defense (DOD) announced Friday.
Trump “has ordered the Department of Defense and the United States Africa Command to reposition the majority of personnel and assets out of Somalia by early 2021,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Approximately 700 troops are deployed in Somalia where for more than a decade the United States has helped quell local al Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab, and more recently the local ISIS organization. U.S. forces train and assist local security forces to fight the militant groups and also carry out airstrikes.
The move follows acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller’s surprise visit to Somalia the day after Thanksgiving, where — among rumors of a drawdown — he assured partner forces of U.S. help in fighting the terrorist groups.
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#BREAKING: Trump orders Pentagon to pull nearly all 700 troops from Somalia https://t.co/JkpEiVwP0d pic.twitter.com/5a0vMoYSYl
— The Hill (@thehill) December 4, 2020
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