Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has announced that all Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers currently deployed to combat al-Shabaab militants in Somalia will be fully withdrawn by December 2024.
Duale made this declaration during his appearance before the plenary on Wednesday, where he emphasized that substantial progress has been made in the fight against the terrorist group. He explained that the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troops will gradually transfer security responsibilities to the Somali security forces.
According to CS Duale, an ongoing ATMIS drawdown strategy known as the ‘Somali transition plan’ commenced in April 2022 and is scheduled to conclude in December 2024, aligning with UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
Duale noted, “The initial phase, involving the exit of 2,000 ATMIS forces, has already been completed. This exit included 400 troops from Kenya, 400 from Uganda, 400 from Ethiopia, 600 from Burundi, and approximately 200 from Djibouti, with the process finalized in June 2023.”
To prevent any resurgence of the terrorist group in liberated areas, Duale revealed that ATMIS troops were withdrawn from a forward operating base (FOB) situated near the Wajir-Somalia border, approximately 7 kilometers from the Kenyan military base.
Phase two of the withdrawal is scheduled to commence on September 30, 2023, with Kenya planning to withdraw an additional 600 KDF officers. However, Duale clarified that this step is pending approval from the UNSC, as Somalia has requested a three-month extension to reinforce its security forces.
“This process has been temporarily halted, awaiting decisions from the AU and UNSC regarding Somalia’s request for a three-month extension. The extension will only be granted if approved by the AU and UNSC, considering the ongoing intense conflict between Somali security forces and al-Shabaab in central Somalia,” Duale explained.
Kenya’s intervention in Somalia in 2012 was prompted by the threat to the tourism sector and the increased recruitment of Kenyan individuals by al-Shabaab. The introduction of ATMIS saw several East African nations, including Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi, and Djibouti, join Kenya in the fight against terror in Somalia.
Duale expressed optimism about the imminent defeat of the terrorist group, stating, “With ATMIS, AMISOM, and international partners, I believe that the days of al-Shabaab in Somalia are numbered. Today, we witness the Somali government’s increasing capacity to combat terrorism, with Somali forces actively engaged at the forefront.”
