U.S. suspends Somali military aid over corruption

desmond frimpong

December 15, 2017 11:09 AM

The U.S. cuts off food and fuel aid to Somalia's military over corruption concerns, and amid fears the under-resourced soldiers are not up to the job of battling an al-Qaeda linked insurgency.

The United States is suspending food and fuel aid to most of Somalia’s armed forces due to concerns over corruption.

This is a major blow to the conflict-rid country as African peacekeepers are starting to withdraw this month.

The U.S. says the Somali military has repeatedly failed to account for food and fuel supplies.

The AU force – comprised of troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda – is scheduled to hand over control of the country’s security to the Somali army by 2020, after a gradual withdrawal process. The first 1,000 soldiers will leave Somalia by the end of 2017.

Diplomats are however concerned that without support, Somalia’s army won’t be able to effectively battle al-Shabaab.

A State Department official says Washington will continue to support small, Somali special forces units mentored by the U.S.

Somalia has been hit by a jihadist insurgency for nearly a decade, with the war killing thousands and displacing millions others.

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