The African Union force in Somalia is facing new questions following last month’s attack on a Kenyan military base, which al-Shabab says killed more than 100 soldiers.
Kenya’s military has not yet said how many of its soldiers died at the el-Ade base in southern Somalia but it could be one of the biggest ever suffered by the AU force, known as Amisom.
That attack, and the more recent fight for control of the port town of Merca, have confirmed that the militant Islamists are not a spent force despite Amisom being on the ground since 2007.
According to its mandate, it was set up with United Nations backing to “reduce the threat posed by al-Shabab” and support the Somali government in regaining control over the country.
But there is still some way to go.
In the wake of the el-Ade attack Amisom troops withdrew from several towns in southern Somalia in what officials called a tactical move.
