President Trump has ordered the withdrawal of US troops from Somalia. According to the Pentagon, the US President has instructed the Department of Defense and the US military's African Command to withdraw the majority of troops in Somalia after January 15, 2021.
"Even after the announcement of the withdrawal of troops from Somalia, US policy will remain the same. We will continue to fight against all possible extremist groups that pose a potential threat to our country."
It should be noted that the US military was sent to help the Somali government and army against the extremist armed group Al-Shabab in the Muslim country of Somalia, which has been suffering from civil war since the 1990s.
As of November this year, there were between 650 and 800 US troops in Somalia, including instructors training the Somali army. Earlier in his presidency, President Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
There has been no immediate reaction from the Somali government to Trump's decision in the last days of his presidency, but Northwestern Somali Senator Ayub Ismail Youssef has called on US President-elect Biden to step down. Given the situation, he should rescind this decision as soon as he assumes the responsibilities of his post.
