NAIROBI (Halbeeg News) – Kenyan troops stationed in Somalia are scheduled to leave the country by December 2024, according to Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
Speaking during a TV interview, Duale stated that the soldiers are being withdrawn because the task has been “completed.”
“We are coming out of Somali because the UN, AU and Somali government felt they have generated enough forces. The Somali national army is ready to protect their country,” said Duale. “By the end of 2024, no more ATMIS troops will be in Somalia.”
He also stated that Kenya is not in Somalia as KDF but as a multi-national UN and AU force.
Duale said the soldiers will be deployed to the buffer zones along border.
“We are coming back to our border so that in the event the Al-shabaab becomes stronger we will still protect our people,” he said.
He said they have currently closed about 14 forward operating bases (FOBs) along the 800 kilometres stretch from Kiunga to Mandera.
African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) which replaced AMISOM has been in operation since April 2022.
The planned exit of the troops is an implementation of the Somali Transition Plan (STP). Somali has already prepared 20,000 soldiers to take over after the complete withdrawal.
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