By Abukar Osman - Reporter
MOGADISHU (Dawan Africa) – July 31, 2026 – The commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin Anderson, has warned that continued political instability and infighting in Somalia could make it difficult for the United States to maintain its long-term engagement in the country.
In an interview published by the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu on Friday, Anderson dismissed speculation that Washington is withdrawing from Somalia, saying the United States has “not turned its back” on the country and pointing to years of support, including assistance in building the Danab commando force.
However, he stressed that future U.S. engagement depends on Somalia’s political leadership taking greater responsibility.
“If Somalia steps up, and the government steps up and takes the lead on this, we will continue to be there, because there is mutual interest. But if we can’t see that, and the political instability and the political in-fighting continues, then it’s going to be very hard for us to continue staying engaged,” Anderson said.
The AFRICOM commander said military operations alone cannot deliver lasting security without effective governance and stable institutions.
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“We need Somalia to bring the governance. We need Somalia to create the stability to allow the prosperity. And if that is the case, that we can have that stability, the United States is very interested in investing,” he said.
Anderson also said domestic opinion in the United States is influencing policy discussions after years of counterterrorism engagement.
“There are people in Washington and other parts of the country who said, ‘We’ve been here for several years. At what point does Somalia become independent and take care of these issues?’” he said.
His remarks come at a sensitive time for Somalia’s federal government, which has faced criticism over delayed electoral processes and tensions between the federal government and federal member states, issues that Anderson appeared to identify as obstacles to sustaining U.S. support.