AFRICOM Denies U.S. Involvement in June 19 and June 22 Somalia Raids

Last
week, the Somali press and Xinhua, China’s state-run press agency, reported
ground operations in Somalia alleging they involved U.S. forces. On June 20,
Xinhua reported that a ground operation in the
Bar Sanguni area of Kismayo. Xinhua reported that Africa Command (AFRICOM)
stated “the incident took place
during a joint operation” that involved U.S. Special Forces. Somalia’s Garowe Online
similarly reported on the incident, saying four people were killed and also
stating that Somali troops were backed by U.S. forces.

In an email to New America, AFRICOM stated that
U.S. forces neither “participated” nor were “involved” in the operation and
that its statement to Xinhua did not confirm U.S. participation. but merely
deferred them to the Somali National Army. (New America, which originally
included this raid in its tracking of
the U.S. counterterrorism war in Somalia based on the Xinhua report, has
removed it based on this new information).

Similarly, on June 22, 2018, Mareeg Online reported U.S. Special Forces
backed a June 22^nd raid by Somali troops also near Kismayo. AFRICOM
told New America that U.S. forces neither “participated” nor were “involved” in
this operation either.