Why is Trump on Varpath in Somalia

The Islamic State (IS) group’s heartbeat in Africa can be a difficult task to find and fight a heart-making terrorists because they hide deeply in the mountains of North-Eastern Somalia.

But in the typical Donald Trump style, the new US President ordered an air attack on the region in the last weekend, he posted on social media: “We will find you, and we will kill you!”

Trump said that for less than two weeks during his tenure, a senior had targeted a senior IS attack planner and other terrorists in Somalia’s semi-suit area and he had “destroyed those caves,” In which they live, and kill any terrorists, harm citizens ”.

He claimed that he had succeeded where the former US President Joe Biden failed.

“Biden and their chronies will not work quickly to get work. I did!”

The fact that Somalia was the goal of America’s first major military campaign under the new administration, surprised many people in the country, who were afraid that America was planning to leave them.

In his first term, Trump withdrew about 700 American troops, a decision reversed by his successor.

$ 600,000 (£ 492,000) The one -year deal Somalia’s Somalia government recently signed with the top Washington Lobming Firm, BGR Group, a sign of how concerned it is.

Under Biden, American soldiers in Somalia were conducting special operations, training an aristocratic Somali force and carrying regular airstrikes.

A day before the air strike, The Washington Post published an interview with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohammood, in which he not “not to evacuate American advisors and advisors, who support the training of our special forces. Are “.

After the strike, there was a touch of frustration in a post on its office from its office on X, accepting the United States unwavering support in the fight against international terrorism and continuously under the decisive leadership of “President Donald Trump Welcoming the commitment “welcomed”. ,

But the air strikes are different from the soldiers on the ground and Trump did not stop the air bombing in his first term. In fact, they increased them by about 400.

“The strike does not mean that the US government is going to carry forward its military engagement in Somalia,” says Matt Breden, strategic advisor to Nairobi -based Sahn Research.

“Many American officials expected to assume leadership positions on African cases, which no longer consider Somalia’s federal government as a trusted partner and in recent years high levels of security assistance provided for very less admirable effects in recent years Are deeply important about. “

Pantland’s terrorism-attentive approach is different from the National Somali government, with which it cut relations in March last year.

It is more self -sufficient and not much dependent on the support of the soldiers of the African Union – about 12,000 of which are on the ground – and global powers including the US and Türkiye.

As Mohammad Mubarak, head of Pantland’s Safety Coordination Office, it suggests that they are soldiers from the northeast who are struggling with a little help or thanks to others.

Mr. Mubarak says, “When we are fighting and dying on the ground, it is not appropriate to keep the air strike in front and center.”

He says, “What the rest of the world are doing, we are fighting, which is an international problem,” they say.

“We have not seen much support except Kenya, Ethiopia and UAE. We do not know if the Americans will conduct more than one air strike.”

Pantland states that its army has captured 48 caves and outposts – and destroyed dozens of drones and explosive equipment – since its full -scale “hilak” or “lightening” offensive launched last year.

Although it has been active in Somalia for almost a decade, it has reduced a danger compared to the Islamist group Al-Shabab, which controls large parts of the country and was described as the most successful affiliation of al-Qaeda Is.

However, in recent times, IS has become more important – local, regional and international levels.

Officials of Pantland and Anam American officials say IS-Somalia leaders, orange-bearded, Abdulkadir Mumin, is now the global head of IS.

Preliminary reports suggested that he was killed in an US air strike last May, but has never been confirmed.

Whether Mumin is the head of IS, whether it is alive or dead, IS-Somalia has become increasingly worrying for foreign states.

As Trump said: “These killers, whom we found hiding in the caves, threatened the United States and our colleagues.”

According to Trissia Beckon, director of the Anti-Odds Hub, a policy anti-objection to the American University at Washington DC, “IS-Somalia has taken more responsibilities within the Islamic State Network, especially in Africa but also beyond the continent”.

From Mozambique to Mali, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Nigeria, with branches of working in the continent, IS-Somalia serves as an important nerve center.

Ms. Beckon has warned that Somalia is also looking beyond Africa.

“It is deployed to facilitate and contribute in the West including the United States. It also wants to motivate attacks in the West,” she says.

“International partners should provide more assistance to Pantland’s ongoing efforts against the group.”

Mr. Briden says that the collusion with the Iranian -backed rebels in the Red Sea in Yemen is also an issue.

“Like Al-Shabaab, Iz-Somalia has received arms and training from Hauthis in Yemen, a source of concern for the US government and its allies,” they say.

The increasing number of foreign fighters is joining the group, increasing its strength in terms of number and expertise.

A major source of Ithiopian migrants is considered a major source of IS-Somalia recruits, gathering in Pantland’s port city Bosaso in the hope of crossing a sea for a better life abroad.

In the Gulf states they provide better payments to them than earning and experts say that some senior commanders of the group are Ethiopian.

“We assess that IS-Somalia is 80% or more foreign fighters, mostly from North Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Middle East, in that order, in that order,” Sri Mubarak says.

They estimate that the group is about 1,000-abuses; The UN monitor placed it at around 600 to 700.

In the last October, Michael Langle, head of the US Africa command, said he felt that “Do-Guna” was grown in North Somalia about a year.

The group staged one of its most sophisticated attacks in December, killing a military base in the Bari region of Puntland.

The group issued a statement saying that not a single Somali was included. 12 attackers came from seven countries – Tanzania, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen and Ethiopia.

The movement has also become more effective in raising money.

Experts from the United States, United Nations and Somalia say that an important part of IS’s financial infrastructure – Al -Karer Office – is located in Pantland, which spreads money and expertise for other branches of Africa and beyond group. Is.

The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said that IS-Somalia had raised about $ 2M in the first half of 2022 by levying taxes on local businesses, imports, nomads and farmers.

If the Pantland’s army succeeds in taking out the militants, the air support will prove to be priceless.

Shortly after the US strike, the Pantland Police said that Abdirrahman Shirwa Avay, the head of the IS-Somalia murder squad, had surrendered.

But experts say such attacks will need to be consumed to hunt existing cells in Somalia and stop mushrooms to others.

It is not clear whether the US and its unexpected leader are hungry to bomb the north-eastern mountains of Somalia.

Mary Harper has written two books about Somalia, in which everything you have told is true, a look at life under al-Shabab.