European Union Training Mission

Somalia

PRESS SUMMARY

1st August 2018

“In ‘Media’ stat virtus”

SUMMARY

TITLE PAGE

Somali security forces carry out sweep in Afgoye town 2

SNA Seizes Assorted Weapons From Al-Shabaab In Gedo Region 3

Somali President set to visit town outside Mogadishu 4

Somali PM welcomed in Qardho town, Puntland 5

National Chamber Of Commerce Secretary Arrested At Mogadishu

Airport

6

Parliamentary Security Committee Meets Security Minister And

NISA Boss

7

Somali PM dissolves new cabinet 8

Free Ambulance Service Imperiled in Somali Capital 9

IGAD-UNSOM upbeat in ending Tukaraq fighting 11

Somalia: Yet another setback for AU's peace efforts 12

Khalifa Foundation assists 180,000 Somalis 14

How the Gulf crisis is destabilising Somalia 15

War on Indian Ocean piracy cost Sh140 billion last year 17

Defence Secretary Makes First Africa Visit 19

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Somali security forces carry out sweep in Afgoye town

July 31, 2018

Somali security forces have carried out a massive

sweep in Afgoye town located on the outskirts of

the capital, Mogadishu on Tuesday.

Local residents said Somali National Army (SNA)

soldiers seized assorted weapons and suspects

during the dawn operation which targeted several

villages in the town.

Authorities in the town declined to comment on the operation and the suspects they have

detained who are currently being questioned at a police station in the area.

Separately, Somali and AU forces launched security operations aimed at opening the main

roads linking towns in Gedo and Lower Jubba regions that were blocked by Al-Shabab.

Al-Shabab which Wants to topple the internationally recognized Somali government has

been fighting Somalia military soldiers in Southern Somalia.

http://radioshabelle.com/somali-security-forces-carry-out-sweep-in-afgoye-town/

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SNA Seizes Assorted Weapons From Al-Shabaab In Gedo Region

30 July 2018

Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers seized assorted weapons and a technical vehicle in a

covert operation in southern Somalia. Gedo Deputy Governor, Osman Nur Hajji, said soldiers

who acted on a tip off successfully engaged Al-Shabaab fighters near Luq district.

“Al-Shabaab was amassing its fighters in Kabis village when the Somali military attacked

them. Some of the assorted arms, ammunition and a vehicle were recovered,” he said.

According to Hajji, Somali military has taken over the bases of the group in the village:

“Government forces are now controlling Kabis village, which was previously under Al-

Shabaab,” Hajji affirmed.

However Al-Shabaab did not comment on the Gedo deputy governor’s sentiments. The

latest development comes barely five days after Somali military soldiers seized a cache of

weapons in Bardhere town. Most of the Al-Shabaab fighters fled the region following

intensive operation by the joint forces.

SNA and AMISOM forces have launched security operations aimed at opening up main roads

linking towns in Gedo and Lower Jubba regions that were initially blocked by Al-Shabaab.

The militia group, which wants to topple the internationally recognized Somali government,

has been fighting Somalia military soldiers in southern Somalia.

http://somaliamediamonitoring.org/july-31-2018-morning-headlines/

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Somali President set to visit town outside Mogadishu

July 31, 2018

Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, the President

of Somalia’s Federal Government is

expected to pay a visit to Afgoye district in

Lower Shabelle region.

Sources at Villa Somalia told Radio Shabelle

that president will arrive in the agricultural

town in the coming few hours.

On Tuesday, hundreds of Somali security forces, including presidential guards backed by

African Union peacekeepers, beefed up the city’s security ahead of the president’s arrival.

The purpose of the visit remains unclear, but this will become the 2nd visit of president

Farmajo to Afgoye, 30Km northwest of Mogadishu since taking office on 8th February 2017.

http://radioshabelle.com/somali-president-set-to-visit-town-outside-mogadishu/

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Somali PM welcomed in Qardho town, Puntland

July 31, 2018

Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khaire has

on Tuesday arrived in Qardho, the

regional capital of Puntland’s Karkar

region located in northeastern

Somalia.

PM Khaire and his delegation have

received a warm welcome from the

district officials and civil society from all walks on arriving the town under tight security.

Hundreds of Puntland soldiers were deployed on the main streets of the town ahead of the

PM’s arrival, according to the residents, speaking to Radio Shabelle over the phone.

On 29th July, the PM and the high-level delegation, he was leading arrived in Garowe, the

administrative capital of Puntland state for the 20th anniversary of Puntland inception.

http://radioshabelle.com/somali-pm-welcomed-in-qardho-town-puntland/

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National Chamber Of Commerce Secretary Arrested At Mogadishu Airport

31 July 2018

Somalia’s National Chamber of Commerce General Secretary Shaafi Raabbi Kahin, was

reportedly detained by security officers at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport

upon returning from Brussels, where he attended the recently concluded Brussels-Somalia

conference.

The reason for the arrest of Kahin, who is also the chairman of Jubbaland Chamber of

Commerce, is yet to be uncovered. His diplomatic passport was also confiscated and he is

currently being held at a detention at the airport, according to Jubbaland Chamber of

Commerce members in Kismayo. The Airport authorities have not yet commented on the

arrest of the official.

http://somaliamediamonitoring.org/july-31-2018-daily-monitoring-report/

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Parliamentary Security Committee Meets Security Minister And NISA Boss

30 July 2018

Federal Parliament’s Security Committee on Sunday met with the Security Minister,

Mohamed Abukar Islow and the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) boss,

Hussein Osman Hussein. The committee engaged the two officials in in-depth discussions on

the security situation and ongoing security reforms in the capital of Mogadishu.

The security officials briefed the parliamentary committee on the latest security situation in

the country, particularly Mogadishu, and the ongoing security reforms aimed at bolstering

the security of the capital. Security Minister, Islow, said there were ongoing plans to

reexamine the security reform process in the capital, and singled out some of the leadership

changes in security organs including the stabilization force.

The deputy chairman of the parliament’s internal affairs and security, MP Mohamed Abdulle

Farah ‘Gesey’, who spoke to the media at the end of the meeting, said they will be

implementing all the points raised with the security bosses. Geesey said they also discussed

how to conduct the anticipated security operations.

http://somaliamediamonitoring.org/july-31-2018-morning-headlines/

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Somali PM dissolves new cabinet

7/30/2018

Somali lawmakers opposed the new government for reinstating a large number of ministers

who served in his predecessor's government.

MOGADISHU — Somali Prime Minister Omar

Abdirashid Sharmarke has dismissed his newly

nominated cabinet, a government official told

Xinhua in the wee hours Saturday.

"The PM decided to dissolve the newly

appointed cabinet due to strong opposition

from parliament," said member of Parliament Ali noor Bodaye, adding that Sharmarke is

expected to appear before the national assembly on Saturday to request more time to form

new government.

Sharmarke announced his new cabinet earlier this week. However, there has been a standoff

within the national assembly on approving the new cabinet, which largely comprised of

former cabinet ministers.

Sharmarke, former Somali Ambassador to the United States, was appointed as premier in

December last year, after his predecessor was ousted via motion of no confidence.

The international community has warned against the recurrence of violence in the horn of

African state due to unstable political standoff among the Somali leaders.

https://menafn.com/1097222862/Somali-PM-dissolves-new-cabinet

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Free Ambulance Service Imperiled in Somali Capital

July 31, 2018

Financial troubles, staffing shortages and

high demand threaten to halt the only

free private ambulance service in

Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

"We have been providing this voluntary

service for 12 years with the help of

friends and other generous individuals in private business, but now the responsibility is

greater than our power," said Abdulkadir Abdirahman Adam, a dentist who founded Aamin

Ambulance. He cited a staffing shortage and an inability to cover costs.

At its peak, the service had 53 workers. Now, "only 20 people with 16 vehicles [are] providing

24/7 services to a growing city and huge population," Adam said, estimating the

metropolitan area at more than 2 million people.

Adam, who also teaches at a Mogadishu university, said the service has been running on

donations from individuals, such as "students who provided us $1 a month. That is not

enough to cover the needs of this city and its residents."

The service began in 2006 with a

single ambulance and a few drivers

and nurses in Mogadishu, risking

their lives while trying to save victims

of mortar fire, artillery shells and

random gunfire that have ricocheted

around this crumbling seaside city for

almost 30 years.

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"Before this service, people used to transport the wounded with wheelbarrows and taxis

that charged expensive fees," said Fadumo Nur, who runs a midwifery center. "But now all

you need is to call 999 and then there is an ambulance at your door. If we miss this service,

we will go back to the dark days."

The United Nations' top diplomat in Somalia called for more support during a February visit

to the ambulance service office.

Aamin plays "an important role in providing the population a degree of comfort that when

something very bad goes wrong, there is someone they can turn to," said the envoy, Michael

Keating, who was quoted by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

Aamin Ambulance maintains the only Mogadishu call center with a 24-hour emergency

helpline.

But staffing shortages, along with traffic issues, delay the ambulance service's life-saving

responses, he said. "We have many times witnessed mothers who called us from homes in

an active labor and, due to delays, they deliver babies in our vehicles on their way to the

hospital."

Aamin Ambulance is almost always found at sites hit by terror attacks or natural disasters,

often as the first emergency responder. Photos from the country's deadliest assault — an

October 14 truck bombing in Mogadishu that killed 512 and wounded more than 300 —

showed Aamin's first responders at the blast scene tending to injuries.

Earlier this month, Aamin Ambulance responded to a blast at Somalia's ministry of interior

affairs compound, transporting 21 people with injuries along with five bodies, the company

said in a tweet.

https://www.voanews.com/a/free-ambulance-service-imperiled-somalia-

capital/4508105.html

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IGAD-UNSOM upbeat in ending Tukaraq fighting

July 31, 2018

The regional bloc IGAD and the UN

Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) have

expressed optimism in ending the fighting

between Puntland and Somaliland forces

in Tukaraq of Sool region which has since

claimed dozens of lives. In a statement

Monday following a two days visit by both

IGAD and UNSOM mission teams to Puntland and Somaliland, the two bodies noted there

was commitment from the warring factions to end the fighting and find lasting peace.

“The leaders of both Somaliland and Puntland and all other interlocutors from both sides

reiterated their commitment to finding a peaceful solution, the statement read in part. The

joint mission which visited Puntland, Garowe, and Hargeisa in the past three days said both

Somaliland and Puntland ‘openly explained their positions, welcomed the ideas from the

joint mission as a good basis for taking forward the ongoing search for a solution, and shared

additional ideas for consideration.’

Tukaraq, located in Sool region has been the epicentre of deadly clashes between Puntland

and Somaliland with each side laying claim to the small village despite local and international

pressure to find an amicable solution. Forces from both sides last clashed in late May with

casualties reported from both sides and more families displaced.

The joint IGAD-UN team will now further elaborate the emerging ideas and clarify issues that

came up during the discussions, with a view to returning to Puntland and Somaliland for

further discussions in the coming days and weeks, the UN said.

http://goobjoog.com/english/igad-unsom-upbeat-in-ending-tukaraq-fighting/

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Somalia: Yet another setback for AU's peace efforts

7/30/2018

(MENAFN - SomTribune) The African Union Mission

in Somalia was supposed to be the ultimate African

solution to the ultimate African problem. Despite a

promising start, it hasn't quite turned out like that.

Last Thursday's Al-Shabaab attack on the mission's

Ethiopian contingent is another major setback. Early on Thursday morning, militants from

Al-Shabaab attacked a peacekeeping base in the town of Halgan, around 300km north of

Mogadishu. The base was manned by a contingent of Ethiopian troops, there under the

banner of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom). As usual in these circumstances,

it's hard to know what exactly happened. The Islamist militants claimed a major victory. They

said their fighters had overrun the base, and killed at least 43 Ethiopian soldiers after a car

bomb destroyed the front gate.

Amisom, however, played the attack down, insisting that its troops remained in control. It

claimed to have repulsed the attack and killed 110 Al-Shabaab fighters. 'Attacks such as this

further demonstrate the despicable nature of Al-Shabaab, whose sole purpose is to spread

terror and continue the destabilisation of Somalia. Our resolve can only be rejuvenated, to

fight on until Somalia is freed of all elements of terror,' said the African Union in a statement

attributed to commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma. Neither the Al-Shabaab nor

Amisom accounts can be taken at face value. Al-Shabaab has a long history of inflating

casualty counts for propaganda purposes, while Amisom has recently been accused (with

considerable justification) of covering up egregious failures after a previous Al-Shabaab

attack.

Either way, it's clear that Al-Shabaab is a far from the spent force it was supposed to be after

nine years and billions of dollars of Amisom effort. It is also clear that Amisom, supposed to

be a model for future African Union interventions, still has plenty of work to do if it wants to

leave Somalia more peaceful and stable than when it arrived. As Paul Williams, a long-time

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Amisom observer, described in a recent paper for the Royal United Services Institute: 'The

political imperative to take the fight to Al-Shabaab during 2014 and 2015, Al-Shabaab's

ability to adapt to changing circumstances, Amisom's various internal problems and the

weakness of the Somali National Army combined to leave the AU mission overstretched:

unable to hold the newly recovered settlements while simultaneously conducting offensive

operations.

Amisom was left vulnerable to Al-Shabaab attacks, especially on its main supply routes and

some of its forward operating bases. Al-Shabaab's ability to infiltrate the Somali security

forces and maintain a covert presence in Mogadishu also enabled it to carry out regular

asymmetric attacks on symbolic targets in the capital city.' The Halgan attack is yet another

example of these vulnerabilities. There's even a suggestion from some analysts that Al-

Shabaab is almost toying with Amisom, that its recent attacks may be part of a deliberate

strategy to target each Amisom troop contributing country in turn.

The pattern certainly supports this analysis: in June last year, Burundian troops came under

fire in Lego; in September, the Ugandans were targeted at their base in Janaale; about 141

Kenyans were killed in February during a major attack at El Adde; and, at Halgan, it was

Ethiopia's turn. The message is clear: no one is safe. Of the troop contributing countries, only

Djibouti has not suffered a major loss in the last year. Amisom's weaknesses mean there is

little that the mission can do to improve its situation. Jasmine Opperman, Africa director for

the Terrorism and Research Analysis Consortium, notes that Amisom is hamstrung by the

very obvious divisions between troop contributing countries, and its failure to win the trust

of local communities. All too often, it is also operation in the dark: 'Amisom lacks the quality

intelligence necessary to execute precise attacks on Al-Shabaab. Coupled with an inability to

deploy quickly, this allows space for Al-Shabaab to continue to attack Amisom positions,' she

said.

As Somalia prepares for a presidential election in August 2016, Amisom's weaknesses

become even more central to the country's immediate future. With the Somali National

Army still weak and under-equipped, Amisom is effectively the guarantor of those elections,

and needs to be in a position to protect the population. What Halgan, and El Adde, and

Janaale, and Lego have taught us is that the mission is not yet in a position to protect itself.

https://menafn.com/1097222864/Somalia-Yet-another-setback-for-AUs-peace-efforts

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Khalifa Foundation assists 180,000 Somalis

BERBERA, 31st July, 2018 (WAM) -- The Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation has

concluded its third relief operation in Somalia's Berbera region, distributing food aid

packages to 10,000 families affected by the drought.

According to a spokesperson from the organisation, the campaign was implemented in

accordance with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan,

with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of

Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and close monitoring

by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of

Presidential Affairs, and Chairman of Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation.

The spokesperson said that a team from the foundation visited affected areas to assess the

severe damage caused to the lands, farms, crops and the cattle of many Somali families, and

in collaboration with the concerned local authorities, went on to provide thousands of food

baskets as part of efforts to alleviate their hardship.

The total number of food parcels distributed across the campaign's duration totaled 36,000,

benefiting 180,000 individuals.

http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302701528

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How the Gulf crisis is destabilising Somalia

July 31, 2018

The impact of the anti-Qatar embargo continues to have strange consequences beyond the

Gulf. Somalia is increasingly compromised by

its schizophrenic approach to Saudi Arabia,

Bahrain and the UAE on the one hand, and

Qatar on the other, exacerbated by a fragile

federal system in which constitutional

responsibilities for foreign affairs are stated

vaguely. Somali President Mohamed

Abdullahi Mohamed – better known as Farmajo — has tried to steer a neutral course

between the two camps, even if Saudi Arabia had offered incentives for Horn of Africa

countries to cut off ties with Iran in 2016 and, since 2015, to help with the conflict against

the Houthis in Yemen. The UAE was initially sceptical, viewing many of the Somali leader’s

key appointments as being too close to the Qatari point of view.

Over the past year, cracks have started to show internally. The argument was that there was

more to gain from Somalia siding with the Saudi-UAE faction within the GCC. Critics of

Farmajo cited migrant remittances, port opportunities and larger markets for livestock

exports if Doha was rejected. Mogadishu held the cards though; under the constitution, only

the federal government had the right to dictate foreign policy. The divide, forced upon

Somalia by the actions of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, risked straining the Somali constitution

unnecessarily, in a country which is still very much in the state-building stage of post-conflict

redevelopment. Last August, the Puntland region in north-east Somalia argued that Farmajo

had not consulted properly with its state administration about backing the UAE-Saudi

factions, and publicly backed a new strategic relationship with their axis. As Omar Mahmood

noted at the Institute for Security Studies, this was likely related to a decision by Dubai-based

P&O Ports to sign a thirty-year concession for Bosaso port, which acts as Puntland’s main

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harbour and is a major source of revenue. Similar declarations soon followed from the South

West and Galmagud administrations. Within days, the regional President of Galmagud was

voted out of office by a pro-Mogadishu faction, further dividing the country as allegations of

illegal meddling by the central government circulated. Even Galmagud was divided as

supporters of Mogadishu clashed with opponents.

Original Emirati fears that Farmajo secretly favoured Qatar (and Turkey) appear to be far

from ill-founded; he has brought the country closer to Doha and Ankara on several fronts.

Meanwhile, many of his interventions since, including the seizures of cash and raids on

officials’ homes, were justified by the idea that the UAE is sending money to his domestic

rivals. DP World’s efforts to build a port in Berbera, in the breakaway statelet of Somaliland,

have further enflamed internal tensions. Somali politics has come close to violence in recent

months. Should the federal system collapse, the likely winner, argued Crisis Group in a

recent think tank report, will once again be Al-Shabaab. Ironically, it is this kind of extremist

group upon which the UAE has built so much diplomatic capital by opposing.

It is fashionable amongst Middle East observers to say that speaking of the Sunni-Shia divide

is simplified orientalism, and that local issues are far more important. Unfortunately, seeing

the world through a Sunni-Shia divide is exactly how Riyadh and Abu Dhabi do things. What

is going on in Somalia illustrates perfectly how their world view, defined fundamentally by

being anti-Iran above all else, can be imposed on top of local rivalries and greatly exacerbate

them. This anti-Shia world view is already causing real problems in Qatar, based on a tenuous

claim that the ruling Al-Thani family is too close to Tehran. Qatar is rich enough and well

connected enough on the international stage to be able to shrug off the siege for the time

being. Somalia has no such luck. The country is relatively poor, weakly governed and with a

long history of fractious violence. Forced to choose between two camps abroad, it is dividing

itself unnecessarily. Farmajo is attempting to address Emirati meddling with proactive

measures, but is inevitably sweeping up rivals as he cracks down, adding to the divisions.

The fact that there are two camps for Somalis to choose from is clearly down to Riyadh and

Abu Dhabi’s reckless decision-making. What began with a siege on Doha may well not end

there; Somalia’s future lies in great part on whether the GCC bickering can be stopped.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180731-how-the-gulf-crisis-is-destabilising-somalia/

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War on Indian Ocean piracy cost Sh140 billion last year

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

About $1.4 billion (Sh140 billion) was spent

on the war on piracy in the Western Indian

Ocean bloc last year, a team formed to find

ways of fighting the menace says. The

Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of

Somalia (CGPCS) said the figures were the

latest from Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), a programme of the One Earth Future Foundation.

The foundation is a privately funded non-profit organisation based in Colorado, USA. The

cost includes money paid by shipping operators for increased insurance due to piracy,

labour, armed guards and other protection measures, ransom paid by insurers and the cost

of naval deployments. More than 200 participants from 50 countries and organisations met

in Nairobi mid last month to discuss a global approach to combat maritime piracy. The forum

was organised by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), CGPCS, the Kenyan government and

the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Participants reiterated the

commitment of the region and the international community to fight piracy and its root

causes. The economic cost of piracy caused by groups in Somalia increased to $1.7 billion

(Sh170 billion) in 2016, from $1.3 billion (Sh130 billion) in 2015.

The cost had been trending downwards from $7 billion (Sh700 billion) in 2010 due to

counter-piracy measures. The 21st plenary session of the CGPCS chaired by Mauritius

Foreign Affairs minister and IOC chair Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo was an opportunity to

assess the status of maritime piracy in the Western Indian Ocean. Representatives of EU

NAVFOR Somalia and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) identified rare cases of piracy since

the resurgence of attacks at the beginning of 2017 — namely two attacks in November 2017;

the alleged perpetrators are awaiting trial in the Seychelles — and one attack at the

beginning of this year. "We must not ease our efforts," stressed Lucthmeenaraidoo.

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Members of the Contact Group and the EU vouched for the extension of the mandate of the

EU NAVFOR mission until December 2020. EU NAVFOR Somalia, also known as Operation

Atalanta, is a counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa. Furthermore,

participants stressed the importance of stopping the threat of piracy. The mission will also

be given a broader mandate to cover all crimes and threats directly related to piracy.

Kenya’s Defence secretary Raychelle Omamo urged for heightened war on terrorism and

piracy saying they were connected. "We must fight these ills — piracy and terrorism — in

tandem because in many ways terrorism extends into the waters through piracy and piracy

extends to land through terrorism," she said. Mr Lutchmeenaraidoo added: "We cannot fight

effectively nor permanently remove piracy if we do not tackle all the crimes and threats that

feed on or are fuelled by piracy. “That is why I suggested that we start thinking about the

possible extension of the mandate of the Contact Group and that the outcomes be

submitted to the next plenary session for debate.”

“Members of CGPCS have confirmed the usefulness of this forum which allows the exchange

of on-going initiatives and offers a comprehensive outlook on the activities of the fight

against piracy,” a statement from CGPCS said. It noted that maritime security is emerging as

a key issue of development in eastern and southern Africa.

Foreign Affairs secretary Monica Juma said maritime security is key to the growth of the blue

economy. "It is becoming a very important foundation for strategies to create the blue

economy as a new pillar of prosperity for coastal communities and for improving their

livelihoods,” said Ms Juma. IOC secretary-general Hamada Madi added: "The potential of the

blue economy for growth and social progress will emerge only if we are able to collectively

provide safety at sea with the support of our partners in the international community. “The

CGPCS is thus an expression of a common goal to cooperate not only for regional stability

crucial for development in eastern and southern Africa, but also for the security of sea routes

in the Indian Ocean among the most important for international trade.” The next plenary

session of CGPCS will be held in 2019.

https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/shipping/War-on-Indian-Ocean-piracy-cost-

Sh140-billion-last-year/4003122-4690978-p680v8z/index.html

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Defence Secretary Makes First Africa Visit

Tue, 31/07/2018

Gavin Williamson (left) will go on to visit Somalia and Ethiopia after his time in Kenya.

The Defence Secretary has paid a visit to

Africa – his first time on the continent.

Gavin Williamson landed in Nairobi, Kenya

with a packed schedule - his first stop, the

British Peace Support Team in Karen on

the outskirts of the city. Britain funds

around 30% of the training courses that run at the International Peace Support Training

Centre, ranging from IED disposal, to promoting females in peacekeeping roles. It is this

training, and the difficulties women face in conflict, that the Defence Secretary has as a

priority. Mr Williamson then flew north to Nanyuki, where the British Army has trained

around six times a year for the last ten years. The battlegroup exercises take place across a

79,000 hectare ranch, however there have been concerns that the contract with its owners

would not be renewed. After a meeting with Kenya’s Defence Minister, Gavin Williamson

confirmed to land managers that licences were being renewed. This was a flying visit for

Gavin Williamson, though his African adventure continues beyond Kenya to Somalia and

Ethiopia. Building Britain's Relationships - Building and maintaining relationships has been

the focus for the Defence Secretary on this trip. As well as exploring areas of Kenya that

British troops live and work in, he met with his Kenyan counterpart to secure licencing

agreements for battlegroup exercises to continue in the country.

Thousands of personnel and their families have made their lives in east Africa promoting

peace. The Defence Secretary made no secret of the fact he wants British influence in this

area to spread further across the continent.

https://www.forces.net/news/defence-secretary-makes-first-africa-visit

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