Kenya to keep troops in AMISOM until security returns to the Horn of Africa

Ahmed Adel

As Kenya is trying to stop the spread of terrorist movements in East Africa, President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Friday, November 29 that the Kenya Defense Forces would remain part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) until security and stability return to the Horn of Africa.

Kenyatta said during a graduation ceremony at the Kenya Military Academy in Nakuru that military training programs in Kenya are designed to meet the security needs of both the country and the Horn of Africa region, which faces major challenges. He noted that the standards of training at the Kenya Military Academy are recognized in the region and around the world.

The regional dimension of training at the military academy is informed by the fact that threats posed by terrorist groups and international security-related crimes know no borders and quickly shift their operations either within or outside the borders of states, Kenyatta added. He concluded that Kenya has always made it a priority to enhance regional security, which is one of the reasons for its participation in seeking the stability of states affected by terrorism.

The remarks came after conflicting reports about the fate of Kenyan troops belonging to the AMISOM forces following the border dispute between them and Somalia.

The year 2011 witnessed the beginning of full security coordination and cooperation between the Somali security forces and the Kenyan side, with the support of the African Union, in an attempt by the two countries to eliminate the terrorist Al-Shabaab movement.

In July 2019, Kenya called on international forces to unite in the fight against terrorist organizations and urged the international community to expedite the inclusion of Al-Shabaab on the list of terrorist organizations under UN Security Council Resolution 1267.

Kenya is working hard to end the presence of terrorist organizations, African researcher Mohamed Ezzedine told the Reference, explaining that this was evident in its demand to place Al-Shabaab on terrorist lists and to continue to work under the umbrella of the African forces in Somalia.

Ezzedine confirmed that the Kenyan forces are the most active within AMISOM, as they vehemently seek to restore security and stability in the Horn of Africa and to stop the tampering of security in terms of regional interventions in the region, as well as from armed organizations, which have become a major source of disruption in East Africa.

Kenya’s announcement that it will continue to work with the forces in Somalia has a significant impact on AMISOM’s withdrawal plan in 2020, Ezzedine added, expecting there to be a change in this decision in the coming period.