A U.S. Military Withdrawal From Somalia Would Only Benefit Russia and China in the Region, Warns Oxford Researcher

A U.S. Army soldier provides security for a U.S. Air Force C-130 Super Hercules during a stopover in Somalia on February 6, 2020. Image via AFRICOM.

President Donald Trump’s reported request to withdraw the 650 to 800 U.S. military personnel stationed in Somalia would be a major setback for the U.S. in the Horn of Africa and would bolster Russia and China’s growing influence in the region, cautioned Oxford University scholar Samuel Ramani in a new article published today in Foreign Policy.

Furthermore, an abrupt U.S. departure would also be regarded by the Islamic terrorist group al-Shabab as a major victory, added Ramani, and would no doubt lead to more instability along the Somali-Kenyan border where the group has been very active over the years.

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by Eric Olander

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