Somalia’s authorities mentioned it had suspended and detained a number of members of an elite, U.S.-trained commando unit for stealing rations donated by the USA, including that it was taking up duty for provisioning the power.
The Danab unit has been a key pillar of U.S.-backed efforts to fight the al Qaeda-linked militant group al Shabaab. The US agreed in February to spend greater than $100 million to construct as much as 5 army bases for Danab.
Somalia’s defence ministry mentioned in a press release late on Thursday that it had notified worldwide companions of the theft and would share the end result of its investigation.
A U.S. official mentioned in a press release to Reuters that Washington takes severely all accusations of corruption.
“We stay up for participating with the Danab on creating the required safeguards and accountability measures to stop future incidents that might have an effect on future help,” the official mentioned, with out immediately addressing whether or not any U.S. assist had already been suspended.
The US agreed in 2017 to assist prepare and equip the three,000-strong Danab to behave as a fast response strike power in opposition to al Shabaab. The group has been waging an insurgency in opposition to the central authorities since 2006.
Danab has been closely concerned in a army offensive by the Somali army and allied clan militias since 2022 that originally succeeded in wresting swathes of territory from al Shabaab in central Somalia.
Nonetheless, the marketing campaign has misplaced momentum, with the government-allied forces struggling to carry rural areas and al Shabaab persevering with to stage large-scale assaults, together with within the capital Mogadishu.
Washington suspended some defence help to Somalia in 2017 after the army was unable to account for meals and gasoline.
The US additionally conducts frequent drone strikes focusing on al Shabaab militants.
