American soldiers posed for photos last week with a Somali leader after the Biden administration said it had withdrawn U.S. forces from the war-torn country.
Jubaland president Ahmed Madobe posted photos showing him flanked by three U.S. troops on May 4. The caption identifies the soldiers as members of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) deployed in the state, which is in the southern tip of Somalia.
“Met with US forces operating in Jubaland under @USAfricaCommand to discuss ways to inhance [sic] the fight against Al-shabaab,” Madobe wrote.
Met with US forces operating in Jubaland under @USAfricaCommand.
to discuss ways to inhance the fight against Al-shabaab.
The fight Against Al-shabaab is a priority for Somalia and its partners. pic.twitter.com/FJH6uJahJz— Ahmed Sheikh Mohamed Islam (@PresidentMadobe) May 4, 2021
AFRICOM announced the completed withdrawal of military personnel in January per a Trump administration order. In February, a visit from U.S. troops to Somalia reaffirmed the withdrawal, but AFRICOM special operations commander Dagvin Anderson said U.S. forces “remain committed to our Somali and regional partners.”
Department of Defense spokeswoman Cindi King told the Washington Free Beacon that even though U.S. troops withdrew from Somalia, counterterrorism missions will continue.- READ MORE
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