In a recent development, a former official from President-elect Donald Trump's initial administration has suggested that Trump may likely withdraw American troops from Somalia.
This move would counteract President Joe Biden's decision to redeploy forces in the region, a decision that had reversed Trump's initial withdrawal of troops, as reported by Stars and Stripes.
According to the Daily Caller, J. Peter Pham, who served as the special envoy to Africa's Sahel region during Trump's first term, indicated that the president-elect might pull out troops from the conflict-ridden nation. This decision stems from the perceived lack of U.S. national security interest in the region. Biden had previously overturned Trump's initial withdrawal of 700 troops in 2020, redeploying 500 service members to maintain a "persistent presence" in Somalia.
Pham was quoted saying, "I would expect that President Trump will want to reverse course and restore things to where he intended at the end of 2020." He further elaborated on the situation, stating, "Quite frankly, as the corruption of even allegedly elite units like Danab has underscored, we do not have an effective partner in Mogadishu, and there are no U.S. national security interests that justify risking American treasure much less American blood in Somalia that cannot be handled offshore or from nearby bases."
The U.S. had initially deployed troops to Somalia in 2007 to combat the al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab, primarily conducting air strikes against the group, as per AirWars.com.
In his book "A Sacred Oath," former Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper revealed that Trump had always harbored skepticism about the U.S. presence in Somalia as part of AFRICOM's mission to stabilize the region. Esper wrote, "[He] didnt see much value in having any Americans, whether they be military personnel or diplomats, based anywhere on the continent." He further added, "The bottom line was that Trump wanted out of Africa completely, and Somalia now seemed to be the start point."
Stars and Stripes also suggested that Trump is expected to prioritize China during his administration, which could potentially divert resources from other regions like Somalia. In line with this, Trump recently appointed Elbridge Colby as undersecretary of defense for policy at the Pentagon, a known advocate for reorienting foreign policy to primarily focus on the Pacific region.
Pham further suggested a comprehensive review of U.S. policy toward Somalia, stating, "At the very least, a complete blank slate review of U.S. policy toward the Somali failed state should be undertaken before investing any more American resources." The White House has not yet responded to these comments.
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