US increases military support for Somalia against al-Shabab

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United States is increasing its military assistance to Somalia as the country sees success in battling what the U.S. calls “the largest and most deadly al-Qaida network in the world.”

Sixty-one tons of weapons and ammunition arrived Tuesday in Mogadishu, the U.S. said in a statement of support for a historic Somalia-led military offensive against al-Shabab extremists that has recaptured dozens of communities since August.

In a separate joint statement with other leading security partners Qatar, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Britain, the U.S. said they will support Somalia’s efforts to manage weapons and ammunition that could allow the United Nations Security Council to lift its arms embargo on the country.

“A very productive meeting,” Somalia’s national security adviser, Hussein Sheikh-Ali, tweeted after the Washington gathering.

The government of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared “total war” last year on the thousands of al-Shabab militants who for more than a decade have controlled parts of the country and carried out devastating attacks while exploiting clan divisions and extorting millions of dollars a year in their quest to impose an Islamic state.

The current offensive was sparked in part by local communities and militias driven to the brink by al-Shabab’s harsh taxation policies amid the country’s worst drought on record. Somalia’s government quickly lent support. Now neighbors Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti have agreed to a joint “search and destroy” military campaign.

Somalia is recovering from decades of conflict , and the federal government is eager to shed the country’s history as a failed state and attract investment. Under the current president, the government is cracking down on al-Shabab’s financial network and encouraging religious authorities to reject the extremist group’s propaganda — even enlisting a former deputy al-Shabab leader as Somalia’s current minister for religious affairs.

The U.S. has an estimated 450 military personnel in Somalia after President Joe Biden reversed his predecessor Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American forces. The U.S. supports Somali forces and a multinational African Union force with drone strikes, intelligence and training.

The increased support for the Somalia-led offensive comes as the AU force is set to withdraw from the country and hand over security responsibilities to Somalia by the end of 2024.

Cara Anna reported from Nairobi, Kenya.

索马里摩加迪沙——随着索马里在打击美国所称的“世界上规模最大、最致命的基地组织网络”方面取得成功，美国正在增加对索马里的军事援助。

美国在一份声明中表示，周二有 61 吨武器弹药运抵摩加迪沙，以支持索马里领导的打击青年党极端分子的历史性军事行动。自 8 月以来，这场军事行动已经收复了数十个社区。

美国与卡塔尔、土耳其、阿联酋和英国等其他主要安全伙伴发表联合声明称，将支持索马里管理武器弹药的努力，这可能使联合国安理会解除对该国的武器禁运。

索马里国家安全顾问侯赛因·谢赫-阿里在华盛顿会议结束后发推文称：“这是一次非常富有成效的会议。”

索马里总统哈桑·谢赫·马哈茂德领导的政府去年宣布对数千名青年党武装分子发动“全面战争”。十多年来，青年党控制着索马里部分地区，发动了毁灭性袭击，同时利用部族分裂，每年勒索数百万美元，企图建立伊斯兰国家。

此次攻势的部分导火索是索马里当地社区和民兵组织，他们不堪忍受青年党严苛的税收政策以及该国历史上最严重的旱灾，最终被逼至绝境。索马里政府迅速给予支持。如今，邻国埃塞俄比亚、肯尼亚和吉布提已同意联合发起“搜寻并摧毁”军事行动。

索马里正从数十年的冲突中恢复，联邦政府渴望摆脱国家失败的历史阴影，并吸引投资。在现任总统的领导下，政府正在严厉打击青年党的金融网络，并鼓励宗教当局抵制该极端组织的宣传——甚至任命了一位青年党前副领​​导人担任索马里现任宗教事务部长。

在乔·拜登总统推翻了其前任唐纳德·特朗普撤军的决定后，美国目前在索马里驻扎着约450名军事人员。美国通过无人机打击、情报收集和训练等方式支持索马里军队和一支多国组成的非洲联盟部队。

随着非盟部队计划在 2024 年底前撤出索马里并将安全责任移交给索马里，索马里领导的攻势获得了越来越多的支持。

卡拉·安娜从肯尼亚内罗毕报道。