US Africa Command forces completed the first engagement into Somalia since the repositioning of US forces under Joint Task Force – Quartz, on 30 January.
“Our first engagement back into Somalia so quickly after the repositioning shows we remain committed to our Somali and regional partners and support their fight against violent extremism,” said US Air Force Major General Dagvin Anderson, Special Operations Command Africa commander.
During the engagement, US forces trained partners on a variety of topics that reinforced combat skills and operational planning.
“This engagement continues the long-standing partnership between US and Somali National Army Danab forces. Under this agreement, US forces provide training, advice, and support coordination to Danab units,” Africa Command said.
“Our mission has not changed. We will support our partners no matter where we have a physical presence,” said Anderson. “We look forward to continuing our strong partnerships across the region in our collective fight against extremism.”
Separately, US Africa Command’s East Africa Response Force completed an emergency response exercise in Mogadishu on 22 January. The exercise demonstrated the ability to rapidly deploy forces to protect US interests in Somalia.
