President Joe Biden has ordered the reestablishment of a US troop presence in Somalia to help local authorities combat the Al-Shabaab militant group, a senior American official told reporters Monday.

The move reverses an order from Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, who in late 2020 pulled nearly all US forces from the East African nation as he sought to wind down US military engagements abroad during his final weeks in office.

Biden "approved a request from the Defense Department to reposition US forces in East Africa in order to reestablish a small persistent US military presence in Somalia," the official said.

Fewer than 500 troops will be involved, the official said, adding that it will "take a little bit of time to reach that" level in Somalia.

That is slightly smaller than the original footprint of 750 US soldiers who spent years in the country conducting operations against Al-Shabaab, but were then removed under Trump and rebased in neighboring countries Kenya and Djibouti.

In December 2020, just before he left office, Trump directed the withdrawal from Somalia "against the advice of senior US military leadership," the official said.

"Since then Al-Shabaab... has unfortunately only grown stronger," the official added.

- Support from Mogadishu -

The official suggested that Biden's decision had more to do with the security of US forces than with the election on Sunday of a new Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, after more than a year of political instability and a drought crisis.

Somalian leaders over recent years have been constant in their support for cooperation with the US military in battling Islamic extremists, the official said, adding that Washington remains confident the new administration will continue to do so.

Congratulating the newly elected president, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged him to develop "security forces to prevent and counter terrorism and assume full security responsibility from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia."

By reinserting US troops, Washington will reduce the risks involved in back-and-forth mobilizations of forces that have been conducting counterterrorism operations inside Somalia.

The move would boost efficiency and the effectiveness of special operators, and allow for uninterrupted training periods with local partners.

Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said Monday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin viewed the current form of operations as "inefficient and increasingly unsustainable."

"The purpose here is to enable a more effective fight against Al-Shabaab by local forces... Al-Shabaab has increased in their strength and poses a threat," he said.

Kirby also insisted that the US forces will act as a supportive element and that Somali forces will continue to be responsible for directly battling extremists.

US troops "will continue to be used in training, advising and equipping partner forces to give them the tools that they need to disrupt, degrade and monitor Al-Shabaab," the Pentagon spokesman said.

"Our forces are not now, nor will they be, directly engaged in combat operations," he said.

Jihadists, drought and distrust: the crises facing Somalia's new president
Nairobi (AFP) May 16, 2022 - Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who won Sunday's long-overdue presidential election in Somalia, takes charge as the troubled nation reels from drought, looming famine, political and economic strains, and a violent insurgency.

- Mending fences -

The Horn of Africa country was supposed to choose a new leader in February 2021 but missed the deadline as Somalia's political leaders squabbled over the election process.

The impasse turned violent when then-President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, better known by his nickname Farmajo, extended his term in what opponents decried as an unconstitutional power grab.

Farmajo appointed his prime minister to arrange a fresh vote but the task drove a wedge between the two men, putting the vote even further out of reach.

The crisis paralysed the government at a time when stability was badly needed to confront the burning challenges at hand, analysts said.

Farmajo's presidency exacerbated tensions between the central government and some states, most notably Jubaland, and there were violent clashes between their respective forces.

The outgoing president was also accused of using Somalia's security forces to further his political ambitions while in office.

In a victory speech to the nation after being sworn in following Sunday's vote, Mohamud struck a conciliatory tone, promising to "heal any grievances" as the country moved forward.

"His message to them, the federal member states and the MPs that supported President Farmajo, is not to fear his presidency," said Samira Gaid, executive director of the Mogadishu-based Hiraal Institute think tank.

"I think... that (is the) kind of work, on reconciliation and political dialogue, that needs to happen."

- Security strategy -

Mohamud, who ruled Somalia between 2012 and 2017, confronts a familiar threat that dogged his government and others for over a decade -- a deadly and persistent insurgency by the Al-Shabaab militant group.

In March, the United Nations renewed the mandate of a 20,000-strong African Union force known as AMISOM that has been on the ground since 2007 to support the foreign-backed government in confronting the Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists.

The reconfigured mission, dubbed ATMIS (the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia), calls for a more offensive strategy than in recent years with the goal of gradually reducing troop numbers to zero by the end of 2024.

Somalia's international backers have warned that the prolonged infighting over the election has distracted from the threat of Al-Shabaab, which has consolidated its rural territory and in recent months stepped up attacks.

"Things have changed. Al-Shabaab is not the same as it was when he (Mohamud) left office in 2017," Gaid said.

"With (the) AMISOM drawdown, Somali security forces need reorganisation."

Omar Mahmood, an analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank, said a new leader could also consider a more political approach to tackling the Islamists, and perhaps even set the mood for any possible dialogue with them.

"How a new administration signals about that, the tone it presents, is very important early on," he told AFP before Sunday's vote.

"Even if Al-Shabaab isn't ready right now, it's sort of opening up a channel... to lay the groundwork" for any dialogue.

"It's a process, it's a very long-term thing."

- Famine forecast -

Somalia is vulnerable to climate shocks, and currently suffering its worst drought in decades.

The United Nations says some 6.1 million people -- roughly 40 percent of the entire population -- have been affected and 760,000 people have fled their homes.

Humanitarian organisations have warned that without a significant increase in aid, Somalia could soon face the kind of famine not seen since 2011 when 260,000 people perished from hunger.

The government has little capacity to tackle the problem on its own.

But observers say political stability in Mogadishu would help in coordinating the emergency response, and presenting a unified appeal for aid.

- Economy on the edge -

A poor, indebted country lacking critical infrastructure, Somalia is dependent on foreign aid to function.

According to the World Bank, nearly three-quarters of Somalia's 15 million people live on less than $1.90 (1.80 euros) each day.

The election delays threaten a crucial assistance package from the International Monetary Fund, which expires automatically on Tuesday if a new administration does not approve key reforms.

The government has asked for a three-month extension to this deadline.

The economy grew by 2.9 percent in 2019 and was tipped to expand further in 2020.

But it instead contracted as the coronavirus pandemic, a locust infestation and floods took their toll, the World Bank said, and forecasts are still below pre-Covid projections.

Pervasive corruption also continues to be an issue -- Somalia sits near the bottom of Transparency International's world corruption index, ranking 178 out of 180 nations alongside Syria.

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Jihadists, drought and distrust: the crises facing Somalia's new president
Nairobi (AFP) May 16, 2022
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who won Sunday's long-overdue presidential election in Somalia, takes charge as the troubled nation reels from drought, looming famine, political and economic strains, and a violent insurgency. - Mending fences - The Horn of Africa country was supposed to choose a new leader in February 2021 but missed the deadline as Somalia's political leaders squabbled over the election process. The impasse turned violent when then-President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, better known b ... read more