Should Somalia turn to The United States?

Somalia has turned to the United States for help against Al-Shabaab a development  that has been heavily criticized  as it will weaken African sovereignty.

Security expatriate questioning the move hinted that Somalia would have turned to the African Union, not America for help. They argue that insurgency is a global issue and is better fought from within.

Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire made the request to U.S. Under-Secretary for Political Affairs, David Hale of the need for America to intensify its efforts in the region. In his response, Hale promised to prepare Somali forces to take over from the African Union Mission.

Somalia and the United States have agreed to intensify security operations to flush out al-Shabab militants in the Horn of Africa nation.

According to a United States statement:

"They agreed on the value of security operations to liberate areas from al-Shabab and preparing Somali forces to take over from the African Union Mission to Somalia."

Africa is not the only continent battling insurgency at this time. The United States and Europe have concerns of their own. While there is no doubt that America can play a significant role in the fight against insurgency, it is how they operate that worries the critics.

On his part, Khaire briefed the U.S. official on recent political and security developments. He also highlighted Somalia's progress towards meeting the conditions for debt relief that would allow Somalia to resume borrowing from international financial institutions.

Washington and other international partner forces have intensified incursions into territory formerly controlled by al-Shabab after driving the insurgents out of Mogadishu in 2011.

Since 2017, the U.S. military has stepped up air raids against al-Shabab. Al-Shabab controls large parts of rural southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out high-profile attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere.

Is the African Union not capable of supporting African countries to tackle insurgency? If yes, why are they doing so little?

Header Image Credit: The Times of Israel