Analyst says KDF should go it alone in Somalia

Sunday, February 7, 2016

KDF soldiers laying ambush in El Adde. Photo/COURTESY

If KDF is to survive another attack, it has to defy the command system of Amisom and operate on its own, a security expert has said.

Speaking to the Star in Meru, security analyst Mwenda Mbijiwe said Amisom is weak.

“Amisom is weak except for Kenyan and Ugandan forces. The success in Somalia is because the KDF operated on its own,” he said.

“The El Adde incident was complicated because KDF was under the Amisom command, which is weak in decision-making and leadership.”

Mbijiwe said Amisom has failed to compel Ethiopian forces to clean sector three, which is the border where Kenyan soldiers were killed by militia.

“Kenya has cleaned sector two. Sector one was cleaned by Uganda and sectors four, five and six up to Kismayu have been cleaned,” he said.

“This is not racism it’s the truth. If KDF has to survive another attack has to operate as KDF and not Amisom,” he said.

Al Shabaab militants attacked a KDF camp in El Adde on January 15 and killed an unknown number of soldiers.

The government has not released the official number of those killed but al Shabaab claims it killed 100.

The government has said the attack will not stop the KDF operation.

Many families are still waiting for information from government about their missing relatives.

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