U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), had a busy day, conducting multi-engagements in Somalia even on the wake of his troops finally exits from the war-torn East Africa country.
The AFRICOM Army Gen. Townsend, during his engagement met with a number of key individuals in Somalia among them U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Don Yamamoto and key military leaders from the Somali Armed Forces, including Minister of Defense, Hassan Hussein Haji, and Somali Chief of Defense Forces Brigadier Gen. Odawa Yusuf Raage.
General Townsend also met with African Union Mission in Somalia Commander, Lt. Gen. Diomede Ndegeya from Burundi as well as other troops’ leaders to recognize the importance of African Union Peacekeeping missions for Somalia and throughout East Africa. He encouraged them not to relent on the enemy whose agenda is to destabilize the East African region.
The General discussed security cooperation between the U.S. and Somalia specifically on the war against the Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabaab. The discussion comes a day after U.S. following the executive order from President Donald Trump pulled its troops from Somalia only maintaining a limited presence in the Horn of Africa nation.
General Townsend underscored of the U.S. Africa Command’s commitment to Somalia and continued efforts to combat the threat posed by the Islamist Al-Shabaab to the U.S., its interests besides its allies in Africa. The U.S. has been a pivotal partner in the war against Al-Shabaab citing it was engaged in planning combat operations as well as training a Somali Special Forces’ unit popularly known as the Danab.
Notable is the General’s visit to the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), operating off the coast of Somalia, Jan. 16-18. The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit have operated off the coast of Somalia since Dec. 21 as part of the Joint Forces Maritime Component Command for Joint Task Force – Quartz.
The Amphibious Ready Group and embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit force represent a compatible integrated Navy and Marine Corps team, capable of swiftly inserting sustainable combat forces and gaining access to critical areas anywhere in the world.
Other capabilities include, the Makin Island ARG and 15th MEU provided fixed-wing close air support from the Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II and rotary-wing close air support from AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters. These capabilities are to ensure concerted pressure on Al-Shabaab has been maintained and subsequent degraded.
The AFRICOM General’s visit comes nearly a month after U.S. Africa Command stood up Joint Task Force-Quartz, the organization responsible for the repositioning of U.S. forces in East Africa.
