Why has Washington Revived a Training Program for Somali Forces?

On February 15, Somalia’s presidency announced it had signed a deal with the United States under which Washington will boost military aid to “support government forces in confronting the Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahideen organization”.

America’s presence in Somalia and backing for government efforts against the Shabaab date back to 2017, when Washington oversaw the formation of the “Danab” commando division, financing it and training its fighters via private security company Bancroft Global Development.

Danab was set up to spearhead the fight against Shabaab forces, which it has now done for several years. However, in December 2020, then-U.S. President Donald Trump decided to withdraw U.S. forces from Somalia and suspend the training program.

In May 2022, President Joe Biden redeployed 500 American personnel to Somalia and re-activated the Danab training program. In total, some 1,500 commandos have passed through the training program since the division was set up, around half of the planned 3,000. The division is expected to establish new bases in Somalia’s main southern cities: Baidoa, Dhuusamareeb, Jowhaar, Kismayo, and the capital Mogadishu.

The agreement announced in mid-February is an indication of growing American interest in Somalia as the country faces a surge in operations by both Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State group, as well as growing influence from regional players including Turkey and the UAE.

Washington appears to be betting that stepping up military training for Somali forces and helping them establish new bases will give it a good return on investment, including loyalty among parts of the Somali military, increased security coordination in the strategically vital Horn of Africa region, and relations with several important clans in Somalia’s southern states, where the Shabaab are particularly active.

In addition, these bases – many of them close to the coast - will allow the U.S. to counter its international rivals, China and Russia, as well as enhancing its ability to monitor the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the entrance of the Red Sea.

It is also worth noting that the Shabaab movement intensified its attacks on the Danab division in 2022 and 2023. February’s announcement may help it recruit more fighters and confront certain clans on the pretext that they are working with American forces. The jihadists may also stage pre-emptive attacks against planned bases, to prevent them becoming launchpads for attacks on the movement and its social base in the south.