Somali situation is becoming more complicated. The split in middle east now affects it completely. Saudi-UAE axis vs Turkey-Qatar. UAE controls the two breakaway provinces of Somaliland and Puntland. Dubai world manages both their port and is building navy bases at their shorelines. Both provinces don’t recognize federal government of Somali based in Mogadishu role in their internal matter. Turkey and Qatar support Mogadishu. Turkey has build a 1000 manpower modern military base for Somali National Army and has invested in Mogadishu airport. Both donors have spent a lot to rebuilt the city. All these infighting has led to a hull of military campaigns against alshabab, allowing them to remain active in the central and southern rural Somali. They have remobilized to fight again. Hopefully the last few months Amisom, usa and UN have been conducting high level meeting to plan out the future solutions for this problem. Trump usa has actually scaled up its involvement from more special forces troops, more equipments deployment and given his commanders a free hand to hit targets without going through redtape. Emphasize has gone to train, equip and deploy more Somali troops to the fight instead of awaiting amisom. Once SNA can be effective in offensive and active patrols then Amisom can withdraw. For now the terrorist are restricted to hit and ran attacks, attacks on isolated communities, posts and opportunistic targets at the border region. They are operating on small groups either on foot or donkeys to avoid detection.
What do you think is in it for UAE, Turkey and Qatar? Why pour money into a “desolate” place? These guys are going to be next door exerting their influence, there must be something in Somalia that they are after that makes it worthwhile for them to pull all these moves.
Hapa nakubaliana na ile ngumu we ya hii kijiji…kila mtu akule kwao. Why kenya is involved in Somalia is beyond me. Eventually watarudi without much to say of.
Short memories. They were camped on our border killing, attacking and bombing at will from Lamu to Mandera. Then another faction started throwing grenades in Nairobi. We had to act and President Kibaki ordered the troops into Somali to take the fight to them. To defeat, dismantle and breakup the terrorist group ability to wage war on us. That order still stands.
Hakuna mtu amesahau. But should our soldiers be involved in an open ended guerrilla war. Somalis cannot be helped but I bet kuna watu wanakula on the count of this war. That’s why they want to keep it going.