Top US general visits Somalia as Washington restarts war on Al-Shabaab

AFRICOM is helping the Somali government in the fight against Al-Shabaab, by carrying out airstrikes against the group, as well as providing training to some of the Somali forces, including Danab.

News Keydmedia Online
29 August 2022

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Minister of Defense of Somalia Abdulkadir Mohamed Noor today welcomed the new commander of the US military in Africa General Michael Langley.

The meeting took place at the Embassy of the US in Mogadishu's Halane base camp. The defense minister shared with the visiting US general a report on the ongoing battle against Al-Shabaab as he returned from frontlines in the Hiran region this week.

The two sides discussed how the US can play a role in the Somali transition plan [STP] that was established two years ago to prepare the Somali National Army [SNA] for the takeover of the security responsibility from AU troops by 2024.

General Michael was appointed on 3 August 2022 as the Commander of the US Military Command in Africa [AFRICOM] after being approved by the Senate on 2 August 2022.

On 9th August 2022, he took over General Stephen Townsend, who led the US military in Africa for four years.

AFRICOM is helping the Somali government in the fight against Al-Shabaab, by carrying out airstrikes against the group, as well as providing training to some of the Somali forces, including Danab.

Since May this year, when Biden gave the Pentagon a green light, US military carried out more than six airstrikes against Al-Shabaab in south and central Somalia, killings dozens of militants.

KEYDMEDIA English