President Joe Biden has ordered the redeployment of US special forces back to Somalia reversing an earlier order issued by former President Donald Trump.
The news was confirmed by two officials on Monday who requested anonymity as they revealed that the request was first made by the Secretary of Defense.
“President Biden has approved a request from the Secretary of Defense to reestablish a persistent U.S. military presence in Somalia to enable a more effective fight against al Shabaab,” Said the source to Reuters.
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Before Trump’s order, the United States had deployed about 700 soldiers who were tasked with helping local and the government to fight al-Shabaab militants.
Al Shabaab militants have for year attempted to topple the government of Somali since the downfall of Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 with the aim of installing the tough Islamic sharia laws.
They have also been responsible for the frequent bombings in the capital Mogadishu with the war strictly meant to force out the government of Somalia through terror and deaths.
Following Trump’s order in 2020, the US has been unable to conduct operations in the North Africa country but have managed to limit their resistance from countries nearing Somalia.