Washington (Somalia Today) – Somalia’s government has praised a record surge in US military support as essential to its survival, brushing aside hostile rhetoric and sharp aid cuts from President Donald Trump’s administration.
Even as Washington suspended food assistance this month and issued pointed diplomatic rebukes, officials in Mogadishu say the security partnership remains strong.
“The United States remains a critical partner in security cooperation,” Dahir Hassan Abdi, Somalia’s ambassador to the United States, told Vox. “Somalia remains focused on practical coordination that advances shared goals.”
The comments reflect a pragmatic calculation: absorb the political turbulence of Trump’s second term in exchange for what officials describe as the most intense American air campaign in Somalia’s history.
Strike surge
While Trump has publicly disparaged the Horn of Africa nation—calling Somali immigrants “garbage” in a December 2 tirade—the US military has quietly expanded its role to levels unseen in decades.
US forces carried out 125 airstrikes and one ground raid in 2025, more than double the 51 operations conducted during Joe Biden’s entire presidency.
The tempo has accelerated further in 2026. Since January 1, US forces have conducted 28 operations, exceeding the annual totals of several previous administrations.
Dahir downplayed the friction caused by Trump’s political remarks, saying Mogadishu “does not treat political statements as a substitute for policy.”
Instead, he pointed to the “degradation of terrorists’ ability to attack major cities” as evidence that the partnership is delivering results.
Somalia argues the US-backed security umbrella enabled a landmark democratic moment late last year.
On December 25, 2025, residents of Mogadishu cast ballots in local elections—the first direct, one-person-one-vote polls in the capital in five decades.
“The conditions for peace-loving residents of Mogadishu to freely participate in local elections” were created directly by military pressure on Al-Shabaab, Dahir said.
Authorities present the vote as a rehearsal for national elections planned later this year, though opposition groups remain wary of the timeline.
Aid freeze
However, reliance on US air power while absorbing cuts to humanitarian support carries significant risks.
On January 7, 2026, the US State Department suspended all food aid to the Somali government following allegations that local officials seized a World Food Program (WFP) warehouse at Mogadishu port.
U.S. officials say 76 metric tons of food meant for malnourished children were confiscated—an allegation Mogadishu denies. The State Department later said it resumed assistance after Somalia’s government returned the commodities.
The suspension adds to broader foreign aid cuts that have strained Somalia’s healthcare system, leaving millions vulnerable in a country where 4.4 million people face crisis-level hunger.
The diplomatic strain has been compounded by Trump’s domestic policies.
In November, the administration announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis in the United States, ordering thousands to leave by March 17, 2026, or face deportation.
Despite the tensions, military coordination appears largely insulated from the diplomatic fallout.
Recent operations have targeted high-value threats, including a major strike on February 1 against ISIS-Somalia operatives in the Golis Mountains of Puntland.
Fragile gains
Analysts warn the “security-first” approach could falter if humanitarian and governance pressures deepen.
“The Somali government’s in a decent enough position that it’s not about to fall,” said Omar Mahmood, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group.
But with the United States scaling back non-military support and an international peacekeeping mission facing funding gaps, “the concern is that some of these underlying gains could unravel,” he said.
Joshua Meservey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, was skeptical that airstrikes alone can deliver lasting stability.
“The core problem in Somalia is that there is a lack of competent, legitimate local governance,” Meservey said. “If you do not have that, you will never successfully eradicate these groups.”
For now, Mogadishu appears willing to accept the trade-off. As long as American drones keep Al-Shabaab militants at bay, officials signal they are going to look past Trump’s rhetoric.
