AFRICOM’s Warning to Mogadishu: US Support Will Continue—but Not Without Somali Responsibility
AFRICOM commander Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson has rejected claims that the United States is abandoning Somalia, but his message to Mogadishu carried a clear condition: Washington will remain engaged only if Somalia demonstrates the political will and institutional capacity to lead its own security campaign.
Anderson pointed to the US-trained Danab Special Forces as a major achievement of the partnership. Washington helped create one of Somalia’s most capable counterterrorism units, but the responsibility for sustaining, expanding and properly deploying that force now belongs to the Somali government.
His remarks reveal growing frustration in Washington. American officials increasingly question why territory previously recovered from Al-Shabaab has repeatedly been lost and must later be retaken. Anderson warned that continued political infighting and weak national leadership would make long-term US engagement increasingly difficult.
This is not an American military withdrawal. In operational terms, Washington has intensified its campaign. AFRICOM confirmed 63 strikes in Somalia during the first months of 2026, targeting both Al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia, while supporting Somali and Puntland forces with intelligence and precision airpower.
But airstrikes cannot replace governance.
The United States can eliminate commanders, destroy training camps and support ground offensives. It cannot permanently hold liberated territory, reconcile Somalia’s political factions or build functioning local administrations.
That is the central message behind Anderson’s remarks: America will help Somalia fight terrorism, but it will not indefinitely compensate for political dysfunction.
The warning is especially serious as Washington reduces its willingness to finance the wider international security architecture. The US has moved to end support for UN assistance to the African Union mission from next year, citing frustration with Somalia’s internal divisions and limited progress toward security self-reliance.
WARYATV ASSESSMENT
AFRICOM has not turned its back on Somalia.
It is placing the burden of proof on Mogadishu.
Washington’s future commitment will depend less on promises and more on whether the Somali government can sustain Danab, unify its security leadership, hold recovered territory and reduce political conflict.
The US message is now unmistakable:
Partnership will continue—but dependency will not.
