President William Ruto has stated that Kenyan troops in Somalia will depart the war-torn country once their mission is accomplished.
Speaking to France24 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Ruto said Kenya is paying a heavy price for its military intervention in Somalia that continues to bear the brunt of frequent attacks from al-Shabaab militant group.
“Those troops will come back home as soon as they are done with the assignment they have in Somalia,” he said.
“It has been 15 years and I appreciate that, we have been there with many partners. I think there is light in the horizon with the election of President Hassan Mohamud who I have met twice,” he said.
He claims Hassan has a better idea of where the fight against al-Shabaab should proceed.
Ruto stated that they are collaborating with other partners to help stabilize the neighboring countries.
He stated that Somalia’s insecurity impacts Kenya, and so the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) would continue on the ground till their mission is completed.
He noted that having a working security agreement in place will allow Kenya to withdraw its soldiers from the nation, allowing for additional conversations on solutions to difficulties impacting both countries.
“The people of Kenya want to do it but they also appreciate that our being in Somalia is not necessarily because of Somalia, it much more because of Kenya,” he said.
Ruto stated that Kenya’s main objective is to help in the stabilization of Somalia, noting that it is in the best interests of the region to ensure Hassan’s administration succeeds.
The Kenyan military is currently serving under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), alongside troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Uganda, and is tasked with assisting Somali forces in combating al-Shabaab, which continues to wreak havoc in the region despite progress in degrading it.
Ruto’s words came at a time when plans are underway for ATMIS soldiers to depart the nation by 2024 and hand over all responsibilities to Somali forces.
