Months after putting an end to what he called a “forever war” in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden is reversing his predecessor’s decision to also pull back forces from Somalia, signaling an intensification of U.S. military presence and engagement in the East African nation.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, a senior Biden administration official confirmed reports emerging in publications such as The New York Times indicating that the White House had ordered the deployment of fewer than 500 soldiers to Somalia to pursue operations against the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militant group Al-Shabab.
“President Biden has approved a request from the Department of Defense to reposition U.S. forces in East Africa in order to reestablish a small, persistent U.S. military presence in Somalia,” the official said.