US support for counter-terrorism efforts in Somalia to continue, but in new format- AFRICOM

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander, General Dagvin Anderson. (Handout)

By Mary Wambui
Saturday, August 9, 2025

General Anderson, who was confirmed as the new AFRICOM commander by the Senate last Friday following a unanimous voice vote, is expected to assess whether AFRICOM’s engagement in the region should prioritise the Federal Government or the federal member states.

US support for counter-terrorism operations in Somalia will continue but is likely to take a different form, according to the incoming US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander, General Dagvin Anderson.

Responding to Senator Jack Reed’s question on whether a continuous US presence in Somalia is essential, General Anderson said it is in America’s interest to maintain some level of engagement in the region.

“As you know, we have had a presence there for quite some time, and we have seen some limited success in training. I do believe that the area is volatile. Al-Shabaab has shown the desire and the will to attack the United States and US interests,” he said.

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The US is also increasingly concerned about growing cooperation between Al-Shabaab and the Houthis, which, Anderson warned, could threaten global shipping.

“The concern is the cooperation across the Red Sea with the Houthis, who are backed by the Iranians. This could give them not just the will but also the capability to attack the US or its interests in a more robust way,” he added.

General Anderson, who was confirmed as the new AFRICOM commander by the Senate last Friday following a unanimous voice vote, is expected to assess whether AFRICOM’s engagement in the region should prioritise the Federal Government or the federal member states.

“I think it is in our interest to have some level of engagement in that region. Whether that is with the Federal Government or the member states is something I would have to assess if confirmed,” he had said earlier.

He becomes the first airman, a trained special operations pilot, to lead AFRICOM, which has been commanded by Army and Marine Corps generals since its creation in 2007.

It will, however, not be his first time at the command, having previously served as head of Special Operations Command Africa, a component of AFRICOM responsible for special operations activities on the continent.

AFRICOM assists Somalia with counter-terrorism operations. The most recent, according to the command’s website, took place last Friday when airstrikes were conducted against Al-Shabaab in the Barire area.

The US maintains a policy of supporting Somalia and partner-led initiatives to promote peace, security (by containing and defeating Al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia), stability, and economic development at both the national and federal member state levels.

Over the years, security support has taken multiple forms, including US contributions to the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia. However, changes in national priorities have led to a shift of this support towards the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which is facing major financial challenges.

A proposed AUSSOM Funding Restriction Bill, 2025, currently before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, seeks to bar the use of US-assessed contributions to the United Nations under UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) for supporting the African Union’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

The bill states: “None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available for assessed contributions of the United States to the United Nations, including any organ, agency, or entity of the United Nations, may be obligated or expended for any activity related to the implementation of Resolution 2719 in support of AUSSOM or any other African Union-led peace support mission in Somalia; or any programme, project, or initiative for Somalia directly linked to the mandate outlined in Resolution 2719.”

If passed into law, the restriction would not apply to the use of UN-assessed contributions to fund the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), as approved by the UN Security Council, or to voluntary US contributions to the UN, or funds expressly appropriated by Congress to support AUSSOM.