Ex-President Hassan Sheikh has warned that the decision by the United States government to withdraw its troops from Somalia would only “embolden terrorists.”
Late last month, President Donald Trump asked his security advisors to create a plan for withdrawing all its troops from the East African nation.
The United States has approximately 700 troops in Somalia.
The troops are part of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), who are in Somalia to help the government to eradicate Al-Shabaab fighters from the country.
Trump made the announcement while campaigning for the US presidential elections, which he lost.
He had previously declared his intentions to bring back US soldiers home from different parts of the world while campaigning for the 2016 presidential polls.
Ex-President Sheikh also urged Somalia to “learn to stand alone” before it can consider standing together with its Horn of African neighbors.