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US sends more troops to Somalia

April 15, 2017 at 11:34 am

The United States has sent more troops to Somalia to train and equip the Somalian army, it was reported on Friday. The troops will also support the African Union Mission in the East African state.

According to a senior Pentagon official, reported Voice of America, “dozens” of US troops are heading for the war-torn country. “The United States Africa Command will conduct various security cooperation and/or security force assistance events in Somalia in order to assist our allies and partners,” spokesman Pat Barnes told VoA on Thursday.

Responding to additional media enquiries, another spokesman confirmed the deployment. “The objective of this particular train and equip mission is to improve the logistical capacity of the Somali National Army and the focus will be on teaching basic logistics operations, which will allow Somalia forces to better fight Al-Shabaab,” he explained.

There have been a small number of counterterrorism advisors in Somalia since the last deployment of US troops there in March 1994.