Drones and diplomacy: Can Turkey help Somalia fight Al-Shabab?
Experts think Turkey should do more to address Somalia’s deep-seated clan divisions and foster political alliances, in addition to providing it military support.
Turkey hosted Somalia’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in Ankara on Thursday amid growing criticism of his administration’s counterinsurgency efforts against the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Al-Shabab, as Ankara weighs how to best support the federal government in Mogadishu.
While Turkey bolsters Somalia's military with drones and helicopters, experts say Ankara’s role must extend beyond military aid to address political divisions and clan dynamics.
The Thursday visit followed renewed Al-Shabab violence — including a March 18 assassination attempt on Mohamud, also known by his initials, HSM, in Mogadishu — and reports of an expanding ISIS footprint in Somalia.
Erdogan reaffirmed his country’s “commitment to Somalia’s security, territorial integrity, and economic development,” according to an official statement by the Turkish Presidency. The visit came after Turkey began deploying its powerful Akinci drones and T129 ATAK helicopters to the Horn of Africa country earlier this month. Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States have also stepped up their airstrikes against Al-Shabab.
