US Sends Armada, 2,500 Marines to Somali Coast to Oversee Pullout

US warns al-Shabaab not to interfere

With AFRICOM announcing the pullout of 800 US troops from Somalia, the US has now sent a naval armada and 2,500 Marines to the coast to cover the exit. The USS Nimitz is also reportedly in the area to help if needed.

AFRICOM insists the troops will be moved from Somalia to other US bases in East Africa, meaning either Kenya or Djibouti. It’s not clear why the transfer needs all these naval assets, even if the US wants to take a boat.

The US pulled out out from Somalia after the Black Hawk Down incident in the Clinton Administration, and returned after Trump took office. This has seen growing airstrikes and ground operations against al-Shabaab, though limited changes on the ground.

AFRICOM is now warning al-Shabaab not to interfere with the withdrawal, which they probably wouldn’t do anyhow because they’d be just as interested in getting rid of the US troops as anybody.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.