U.S President Donald Trump has signed an executive order extending a national emergency declaration for Somalia, which had been slated to expire in May. The extension has been credited to the continued threat posed by al Shabaab especially, to the US’ national security and foreign policy.
In a statement released by the White House, Somalia continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
Therefore, the national emergency declared on April 12, 2010, and the measures adopted on that date and on July 20, 2012, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond April 12, 2018.
The emergency declaration was made due to piracy off the Somali coastline and al Shabaab attacks in Somalia’s inland.
The declaration also means that US command would continue to launch attacks and neutralize terrorist elements in Somalia for the next year until after which an evaluation will be conducted.
The US has in the past few months increased the number airstrikes against al Shabaab targets across the nation killing dozens of terrorists.
