The ongoing withdrawal of troops from Somalia is raising concerns of a security vacuum that a resurgent al Shabaab will exploit. Kenya, too, continues to suffer deadly attacks, which al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for. Elders and chiefs, however, want the process delayed, saying Somalia's security forces cannot contain the threat from al Shabaab. The TCCs (Troop Contributing Countries) and the Somali government also want the drawdown stopped to allow recovery of territories under control of al Shabaab and other terror groups. It, therefore, emerges that the withdrawal poses a risk that it might offer an opportunity to al Shabaab to regroup.

Source: The Star February 18, 2019 03:11 UTC