Biden to send troops to Kenya as US boosts war on Al-Shabaab

NAIROBI, Kenya

US President Joe Biden has announced the deployment of American special troops to Kenya to help in the region's counter-terrorism efforts.

In a letter to the US Congress seen by the Sunday Nation, President Biden said that he had approved sending special operations troops to Kenya, which is expected to collaborate with the Kenyan military in combating Al-Shabaab. The number of troops is not indicated.

The US deployment is expected to be a security boost for Kenya, which has in recent years suffered deadly gun and bomb attacks from Al-Shabaab. The Somalia-based group is known to have sympathisers in Kenya. 

Al-Shabaab has been attacking Somali government and military targets but occasionally launches high-profile assaults in neighbouring states, including Kenya. North Eastern Kenya and parts of the Coast have particularly been targeted by the terrorists, but there have previously been high-profile attacks in Nairobi, including at Westgate Mall in 2013 and the DusitD2 Complex in 2019.

Al-Shabaab has publicly declared intent to conduct attacks in retaliation to Kenya’s counter-terrorism operations in Somalia, which it conducts as part of the African Union Mission (Amisom) and may be emboldened following the announced US withdrawal of forces from Somalia last year.

Former US President Donald Trump last December ordered the withdrawal of an estimated 700 American troops from Somalia by January 15, with the Pentagon saying at the time they would be repositioned to other parts of East Africa — likely Kenya and Djibouti — and continue to carry out raids against the militia and a smaller cluster of Islamic State fighters from bases in neighbouring countries.

The new Biden administration, which has publicly maintained it considers Kenya a "strategic" partner in the fight against terrorism, has embarked on the reversal of many policies that had been rolled out by Mr Trump.

"In furtherance of counter-terrorism efforts, the United States continues to work with partners around the globe, with a particular focus on the United States Central and Africa Commands’ areas of responsibility," explained President Biden in his letter to the US Congress on Tuesday.

"In this context, the United States has deployed forces to conduct counter-terrorism operations and to advise, assist, and accompany security forces of select foreign partners on counter-terrorism operations....United States Armed Forces are deployed to Kenya to support counter-terrorism operations in East Africa."

President Biden announced the impending military action by US forces to be stationed in Kenya in the second report of his presidency submitted to the US Congress under the War Powers Resolution.

The War Powers Resolution requires the US President to consult the Congress before introducing armed forces into “hostilities” or “situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances,” and to notify Congress within 48 hours of having done so.

These reports, known as “48-hour reports,” are also required when the President sends forces abroad “while equipped for combat” or “in numbers which substantially enlarge” existing combat-equipped deployments — the idea being to enable Congress to police the slippery slopes that can lead the nation to war.

Reports must provide the legal basis for the President’s actions, the purpose of the deployment (or “circumstances necessitating the introduction”), and the “estimated scope and duration of the hostilities or involvement.”

Our reporter could not immediately obtain a classified annexe to the report which Mr Biden shared with the US Congress detailing the number of troops to be deployed to Kenya.

President Biden, however, revealed in his main report that the US military would conduct air strikes against Al-Shabaab to degrade their threat if need be, admitting several such air strikes had already occurred since he took office.

"Since the last periodic report, United States forces have conducted a small number of air strikes against Al-Shabaab, and remain prepared to conduct air strikes against ISIS and Al‑Shabaab terrorists," President Biden said in the report.