The commander of the U.S. Africa Command (U.S.Africom), Gen. Michael Langley, says Somalia can manage its own security after the December scheduled withdrawal of the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia forces.

Mr Langley, who made the remarks during a digital news conference, said that support and stability programmes for Somalia were underway as the country prepared for the AU mission’s withdrawal.

He said his confidence in the development was boosted after meeting with Somali President Hassan Mohamud and his top military official, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Addow.

Mr Langley stated that the Somali authorities told him military operations in the southern and central parts of the country were focused on liberating some areas from militants and stabilising others.

The withdrawal is coming about two-and-a-half years after the UN Security Council authorised the mission to help stabilise the country following years of brutal al-Shabab insurgency.

“They’re going to be able to keep al-Shabab back on their heels going forward in future operations,” Mr Langley said.

The U.S. Marine Corps General also spoke about the U.S. security engagements in West Africa amid the escalating violent extremism within the ECOWAS subregion and the recent withdrawal of U.S. troops from Niger.

They were ordered to leave by the military leaders who forcefully took over power in the country, like in the neighbouring Sahel states, Mali and Burkina Faso.

According to Mr Langley, the U.S. forces will stay “engaged” while the way forward on security cooperation across the Sahel is being considered.

“So yes, we are in talks with Cote D’Ivoire, in talks with Ghana and Benin, as well as we start to reset and calibrate some of our assets. These countries are facing threats from terrorist groups like al-Qaida and Islamic State, which initially operated in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, but are now moving toward other countries across the region,” he said.

In June, while briefing the UN Security Council, Mohamed Souef, head of ATMIS, told the council that the threat posed by al-Shabab was unpredictable.

Mr Souef explained that the terrorist group was still capable of launching devastating assaults on targets.

He cited an attack on Somali security forces in the Galmudug region and a mortar attack on the ATMIS camp in Baidoa not long ago to buttress his submission.

The ATMIS commander had argued that support from international partners was essential to maintain the momentum.

He said that this was even though Somali forces, supported by ATMIS, had achieved significant gains in the fight against the militants.

(NAN)