War against Al-Shabaab risks a slump as Trump signals funding cut

Counter-terrorism efforts in Somalia could be dealt a big blow should the incoming Trump administration make good its tough questioning of America’s involvement in anti-terrorism missions in Africa.

The fears contained in Trump transition team four page dossier to the State Department point to the new president’s aspirations to cut down spending in Africa particularly in security, health and infrastructure support.

Taxpayer money

For Somalia and the region however is the Trump’s questioning of whether US taxpayer money is worth the war against the militant group Al-Shabaab which runs on close to a billion dollars budget annually drawn from the UN, EU and the US among other donors.

“We’ve been fighting al-Shabaab for a decade, why haven’t we won? The transition team asks the State Department in sections published by the New York Times.

In an August 2014 fact sheet, the State Department noted the US had committed to ‘provide more than $512 million to provide support to the AU Mission in Somalia to build the capacity to counter Al-Shabaab in Somalia and provide space for political progress’.

It further highlighted its support of more than $455 million to then UN Support Office for Amisom (UNSOA). The UN Security Council through resolution 2245(2015) expanded UNSOA’s mandate and renamed it UN Support Mission in Somalia (UNSOS).

Somali elite squad training

Besides providing support to the African Union force Amisom, the US has been instrumental in training Somalia’s elite squads known as Danaab and Gashan. The two units are specially trained to respond to terror attacks and have foiled or responded to Al-Shabaab attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of the country.

The US through its aerial intelligence has provided significant support to Amisom and Somali forces in targeting key Al-Shabaab elements with most of them having been felled in drone strikes. US Special Forces are also known to work with Somali elite squads in gunship missions while operating from locations such as Kismayu in southern Somalia besides the main Camp Lemonnier in neighboring Djibouti.

EU 20% cut

A possible tightening of the purse strings by the US is likely to further squeeze the Amisom force which suffered another blow last February when the EU effected a 20% cut on stipends to the African Union sanctioned force.

The ripple effects of a funding cut by the Trump administration to the war against extremism in Somalia could also have a bearing on troops contributing countries some of which are directly supported by the US. The US for instance provides targeted military support to the Kenyan military aimed at bolstering its efforts in strangling Al-Shabaab activities not only in Somalia but also inside Kenya.

A cut on support on Kenyan military will also have a knock on effect on Somalia and further frustrate efforts of having a stable Somali state.