NAIROBI (SD)-President of Kenya William Ruto has stated that the Al-Shabaab group, which has ties to Al-Qaeda, will exploit Somalia’s power vacuum after the African Union withdraws its troops this year. This statement comes days after Washington pledged new support for intelligence, security, and peacekeeping efforts to Nairobi.

During his visit to the United States, Ruto urged Washington to intervene to prevent a situation similar to that of Afghanistan, where ongoing conflicts have destabilized the region. President Ruto also mentioned that President Hassan Sheikh spoke with him about concerns regarding the withdrawal of ATMIS troops from Somalia, although they did not mutually agree on the issue.

Finally, Kenya has requested the United States to intervene promptly and stop the ATMIS troop withdrawal plan.

Kenya currently has both ATMIS and non-ATMIS troops in Somalia, with many believing they are there for ?self-serving economic and political reasons.