The United Kingdom has backed the stance by Kenya on withdrawal of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) troops from Somalia.
Kenya has clarified that it would only apply a “cautious approach” in withdrawing its troops from Somalia.
Currently, KDF is part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) contingent in the Horn of Africa nation.
AMISOM troops are generally expected to start withdrawing from Somalia in 2021 though the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) recently extended its mandate.
Julius Court, Deputy British High Commissioner to Kenya, said that Britain is keeping a close eye on the situation in Somalia.
Kenya had said that it would only be ready to pull its troops out of Somalia once its neighbor achieves stability.
Britain offered its backing to the cautious approach by Kenya when soldiers from both countries started a joint training exercise.
The joint training exercise is the result of a military agreement that the two nations signed early this year.
Over 600 soldiers from KDF are involved in the joint training exercise with the UK troops.
At the end of the training, the KDF personnel would be deployed to Somalia as part of the AMISOM contingent.