The U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, commander, U.S. Africa Command on Tuesday testified before the House Armed Services Committee as part of the commands annual statement to Congress.
US Africom which this year alone has conducted four airstrikes killing at least 10 militants briefed Congress on its achievement.
“With the full support of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command maintains pressure on the al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia networks and seeks to accelerate the delivery of training and equipment to the Somali Federal Member States” Gen. Waldhauser told the committee
US Special forces have recently been involved in raids on Alshabaab positions in Middle Shabelle and Lower Shabelle.
“Our joint Department of Defense-Department of State Security Force Assistance efforts in Somalia have built the 1st Danab Advanced Infantry Battalion, a combat-tested unit at the leading edge in southern Somalia. Furthermore, with the Department of State and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Joint Improvised Threat Defeat Organization (JIDO), we are working to improve the security posture in Mogadishu and mitigate the destabilizing effects of vehicle-borne IED attacks in the city.” Gen. Waldhauser said.
“For East Africa, the desired end state is one in which VEOs are not able to destabilize Somalia or its neighbors or threaten the U.S. homeland, U.S. persons, or our international partners and allies” the Committee heard.
“Accordingly, the desired end state includes transitioning security responsibility from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and Somalia’s Federal Member States (FMS) so the central and regional governments ultimately secure their own territory, neutralize al-Shabaab, and interdict illicit flows of arms, drugs, money, natural resources, and persons.” Gen. Waldhauser added.
US Africom will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee in the near future as part of the command’s annual Posture Statement to Congress.
