Intelligence reports confirm the presence of British special forces and military intelligence officers in Mogadishu and Afgoye, areas where Al-Shabaab were recently dislodged by UPDF/AMISOM troops.
The level of cooperation between Uganda defense forces and the British has increased since the Ugandans took the initiative to pacify Somalia, hence the presence of British SAS in areas where UPDF operate under AMISOM is based on this cooperation.
Official communication on the British forces explains that the British Troops in Somalia are aiding AMISOM troops in military planning and other key roles such as medical and communication aspects of military ops.
However such high profile presence cannot be agitated by such simplistic needs, rather a more vital role including, intelligence gathering on the political system and transition, special operations to eliminate the new leadership of the militant group besides hunting down British born Islamist sympathizers in Somalia.
Several previous British led forums on Somalia are indicators of British desire to get actively involved in oil and gas rich Somalia besides a very agriculturally rich country.
The British ministry of Defense confirmed the presence of British troops in the war torn country but pointed out their non-combat role.
