US has no plans to withdraw its troops from Somalia — US Africa Command

US has no plans to withdraw its troops from Somalia — US Africa Command The AFRICOM commander described Somalia as strategically important for the US due to its proximity to key maritime trade routesNAIROBI, August 4. /TASS/. At this stage, US does not plan to withdraw its troops from Somalia, General Dagvin Anderson, commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), said as quoted by The East African newspaper. "The United States is not leaving Somalia, but we want to see Somalia take more responsibility for its own security," he noted. According to Anderson, Washington intends to further cooperate with Mogadishu, if Somali authorities take the lead in countering terrorism and stop internal political discord. "If Somalia steps up and the government takes the lead on this, we will continue to be there because there is mutual interest," he emphasized. "But if we can’t see that, and political instability and political infighting continue, then it’s going to be very hard for us... to stay engaged." The general also noted that the US has completed the creation and training of the Somali Danab elite unit, formed to conduct counterterrorist operations. Somali authorities must ensure now further maintenance and development of the unit. The AFRICOM commander described Somalia as strategically important for the US due to its proximity to key maritime trade routes. He also acknowledged that the Somali terrorist organization Al-Shabaab maintains its combat effectiveness despite airstrikes and ground operations conducted against it. The Al-Shabaab organization was founded in Somalia in the mid-2000s. According to experts, it may have up to 18,000 militants. Somali government forces, backed by local militias, African Union forces and foreign soldiers, are fighting the terrorist organization. The US helps Somalia train its troops, shares intelligence data and delivers strikes on the positions of Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia), which operates in the north of the country. 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