Somalia detains US-trained commandos for ration theft

Somalia’s government said it had suspended and detained several members of a US-trained elite commando unit for stealing rations donated by the United States, adding it was taking over responsibility for supplying the force.

The Danab unit has been a key pillar of U.S.-backed efforts in the fight against the Al Qaeda-linked militant group Al Shabaab. The United States agreed in February to spend more than $100 million to build five military bases for Danab.

Somalia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement late Thursday that it had informed international partners of the theft and would share the outcome of its investigation.

A US official said in a statement to Reuters that Washington takes all allegations of corruption seriously.

“We look forward to engaging with the Danab to create the necessary safeguards and accountability measures to prevent future incidents that could impact future aid,” the official said, without directly commenting on whether the U.S. aid had already been suspended.

The United States agreed in 2017 to help train and equip the 3,000-strong Danab to act as a rapid reaction force against Al Shabaab. The group has been waging an insurgency against the central government since 2006.

Since 2022, Danab has been closely involved in a military offensive by the Somali army and related clan militias, which initially succeeded in wresting parts of territory from Al Shabaab in central Somalia.

However, the campaign has lost momentum as government forces struggle to control rural areas and Al Shabaab continues to carry out large-scale attacks, including in the capital Mogadishu.

Washington suspended some defense aid to Somalia in 2017 after the military was unable to secure food and fuel supplies.

The United States also regularly carries out drone strikes against Al-Shabaab militants.

(Reuters)