The State Department of the government of the United States has expressed reservations over the ability of Somali National Army (SNA) to annihilate Al-Shabaab from the country.
According to the State Department, SNA is not only “young” but also “under-equipped” to wage a successful war against the Al-Qaeda linked militia.
Al-Shabaab has carried out several raids around the country and contributed to the increasing state of insecurity in Somalia.
The United Nations released a report saying that Al-Shabaab has more than 7,000 active members in Somalia.
SNA is currently stretched to conduct successful military operations to eradicate members of the group from the country.
It has been relying on assistance from African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the US Command in Africa (AFRICOM) to raid Al-Shabaab bases around the country.
The report by the State Department is likely to influence decisions by AMISOM and AFRICOM troops on whether to leave the country in 2021 as initially planned.