Kenyan troops enter Somalia to attack rebels
Kenyan troops have crossed the border into war-torn Somalia to attack Islamist Shebab rebels they accuse of being behind several recent kidnappings of foreigners, Kenyan officials said on Sunday.
“We have crossed into Somalia in pursuit of the Shehab, who are responsible for the kidnappings and attacks on our country,” government spokesman Alfred Matua told AFP.
An AFP reporter close to the border witnessed large numbers of troops as well as military planes and helicopters overhead.
“We have crossed into Somalia in pursuit of the Shehab, who are responsible for the kidnappings and attacks on our country,” government spokesman Alfred Matua told AFP.
An AFP reporter close to the border witnessed large numbers of troops as well as military planes and helicopters overhead.
This is another of the US's not quite so covert wars in Africa.On May 20, 2005, the President sent to Congress "consistent with the War Powers Resolution," a consolidated report giving details of multiple ongoing United States military deployments and operations "in support of the global war on terrorism," as well as operations in Iraq. US forces are also deployed in Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen, Eritrea, and Djibouti assisting in "enhancing counter-terrorism capabilities" of these nations.
The deployment in Kenya has been on-going for the last 11 years.
And why has Somalia been so important to this and the previous administration?!?
In one word, oil.
The sedimentary basin running under the Gulf of Aden provides the most obvious area of exploration as significant reserves have already been discovered off Yemen. These waters are ostensibly controlled by Somaliland and Puntland. The US companies Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips were awarded large concessions in Somali territory before the collapse of the Siad Barre regime in 1991. While the unrecognised government of Somaliland has pledged to honour these concessions and southern warlords have offered security to oil workers there, US oil companies still consider the country too dangerous and unregulated to resume activity.Some other foreign oil companies have, however, made attempts to resume exploration activities since 2000. In February 2001, Somalia's Transitional National Government (TNG) signed a deal with TotalFinaElf (now Total) awarding the company a one-year exploration agreement in southern Somalia. However, the inclusion of the TNG into the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) made the company pull out, illustrating the major problem of foreign oil and gas contractors in Somalia - namely the stability of local partners.
The deployment in Kenya has been on-going for the last 11 years.
And why has Somalia been so important to this and the previous administration?!?
In one word, oil.
The sedimentary basin running under the Gulf of Aden provides the most obvious area of exploration as significant reserves have already been discovered off Yemen. These waters are ostensibly controlled by Somaliland and Puntland. The US companies Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips were awarded large concessions in Somali territory before the collapse of the Siad Barre regime in 1991. While the unrecognised government of Somaliland has pledged to honour these concessions and southern warlords have offered security to oil workers there, US oil companies still consider the country too dangerous and unregulated to resume activity.Some other foreign oil companies have, however, made attempts to resume exploration activities since 2000. In February 2001, Somalia's Transitional National Government (TNG) signed a deal with TotalFinaElf (now Total) awarding the company a one-year exploration agreement in southern Somalia. However, the inclusion of the TNG into the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) made the company pull out, illustrating the major problem of foreign oil and gas contractors in Somalia - namely the stability of local partners.
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