MOGADISHU, Somalia — Kenyan military forces have reportedly withdrawn from strategic positions near Afmadow town in Somalia’s Lower Jubba region. The sudden pullout remains unclear.
Reliable sources said the military forces had retreated to Kiunga, an area about 10 km from its border with Somalia. They confirmed the vacated area is known as Badda Madow (Black Sea), where Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked group, views as a strategic location for their operations.
Badda Madow also once served as a stronghold and hiding place for foreign fighters allied with the al-Qaeda-linked group, which has been battling to overthrow the Mogadishu-based government, led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
In cooperation with Jubaland regional forces, the Kenyan military had previously managed to control Badda Madow and keep the militants at bay. The unexpected withdrawal could have significant implications for security in the Lower Jubba region.
U.S. forces stationed at Manda Bay in Kenya’s Lamu have been helping both Kenya and Somalia to drive Al-Shabaab out of Badda Madow. They also provide specialized training, technical support, intelligence services, and aerial support when needed.
In 2020, heavily armed Al Shabab gunmen stormed into Manda Bay in Kenya’s Lamu, which was home to around 100 US personnel. They killed Army Spc. Henry Mayfield Jr. and two others, and destroyed six U.S. aircraft.
Despite losing control of several towns and fighters since President Mohamud declared an “all-out war” against them last year, the militant group has intensified its guerrilla-style attacks on military bases.
Having been driven from Mogadishu in 2011 by Somali and African Union forces, the extremist group continues to carry out deadly attacks. For more than a decade, they have waged war to overthrow the Somali government and impose a hardline interpretation of Sharia law.
Al Shabab still controls significant territory in southern and central Somalia, from which it is reported to launch attacks on Somali National Army bases, African Union peacekeepers, and the capital, Mogadishu
