Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Kenyans.co.ke
Published on 2024-02-26 02:00:07
Kenya recently welcomed elite Somali military units who are set to participate in Justified Accord 2024, a multinational military exercise organized by the US government and partner African States. The Somali National Army’s special unit, Danab, flew from Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport to Kenya for this event.
These Somali soldiers will join elite units from various continents, coordinated by the United States and African partners, in what is considered to be the U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise in East Africa. Led by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and hosted in Kenya, this year’s exercise will involve 1,000 personnel and units from 23 nations.
The Danab elite soldiers from Somalia, known for their lightning-like precision and high accuracy, are part of a 2000-member brigade of highly trained commandos. They will actively participate in the event between February 26 and March 7, conducting military drills focused on enhancing partner readiness for peacekeeping missions, crisis response, and humanitarian assistance.
Justified Accord aims to demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. and its partner nations to boost readiness and interoperability in regional security and crisis response. While the main events will be held in Nairobi and Isiolo, the soldiers will also travel to Uganda, Rwanda, Botswana, and Djibouti for additional exercises and training.
Field training and live-fire exercises will take place in Isiolo and other parts of the East African Community. The event will feature a range of activities such as a multinational command post exercise, maritime exercises, special operations, cyber courses, and humanitarian and civic assistance projects.
The Massachusetts National Guard and US Army reserve units will have a significant presence at the exercise. The Massachusetts National Guard has a State Partnership Program (SPP) relationship with the Kenyan Defence Forces, established in 2015. This partnership enhances cooperation and collaboration between the two military forces.
The participation of elite soldiers from Somalia, alongside other military units from partner nations, demonstrates a commitment to improving regional security, crisis response capabilities, and cooperation. Justified Accord 2024 will serve as a platform for enhancing readiness and interoperability among participating nations in East Africa.
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