U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled Monday to Kenya for talks with defense officials about security and counterterrorism.
Before departing for Nairobi, Austin thanked U.S. troops at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, highlighting what he called their"very impressive" role in evacuating U.S. diplomats from Sudan in April.
Austin met with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Djibouti Sunday as part of his first visit to the African continent as defense secretary. Earlier, Austin met with the Djiboutian president and defense minister, thanking them for hosting the United States' primary base in Africa and for supporting Somalia in its fight against extremist groups.
The meeting between Austin and Mohamud came two days after a small arms fire attack on a military barracks in Kulbiyow, Somalia, left one U.S. contractor and a partner force member injured, a senior defense official told VOA. "He wants to do everything that he can to maintain momentum," Austin said in response to VOA, without commenting further on the Somali request to the African Union.
"We're operating on the margins against these jihadist groups, barely keeping them contained," Roggio told VOA."Meanwhile, U.S. defense officials say the U.S. has not seen a withdrawal of a substantial number of Wagner Group forces following the death of its leader last month. "I think what you'll see in the future here is probably some competition within the ranks to who's going to be the next leader," Austin told reporters Sunday."I think you'll also see potentially the Russian government moving to either replace Wagner with some other kind of element or using Russian forces to support efforts on the continent."
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