As one of his administration’s final actions, former US President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of virtually all American troops from Somalia. He stated that this was to be achieved by January 15, ensuring completion by the time Joe Biden began his presidency on January 20. US air power played a pivotal role in securing the withdrawal, operating from land bases in the region, and from naval ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
The US had previously stationed about 700 troops in Somalia, where they were tasked with training local forces and with helping them conduct operations against both al-Shabaab (an Al Qaeda affiliate) and Islamic State militants. US special operations forces had a particularly close working relationship with Somalia’s Danab commando brigade. In recent years, US troops and African Union forces were able to reclaim control of the Somali capital Mogadishu and other areas, after decades of political instability. However, al-Shabaab has not given up its fight and has mounted many effective attacks inside Somalia and in its neighboring countries.
