Danab Corruption and Military Action: Car Bomb, Mortar Fire, U.S. Food Theft Response

In a small town of Somalia, an explosion caused by a car bomb occurred before troops were targeted with mortar fire. The government of Somalia has taken action against several members of the elite Danab unit, who have been accused of stealing food donated by the United States. This group is trained and supported by the U.S., having previously agreed upon measures for assistance from 2017 in efforts to combat al Shabaab, a militant organization affiliated with Al Qaeda that has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s central government since 2006. The theft of resources has caused the government to step in and assume responsibility over provisions for this group; authorities have alerted their foreign counterparts of this recent situation and indicated intentions towards a complete review to provide follow-up updates regarding its findings. While the U.S. Government remains committed to combating corruption, it’s yet unknown whether or not assistance has already been withdrawn as no formal statements addressing that question were made by officials at press time. The Danab unit was initially created in 2014 for their specialized and advanced strike operations aimed directly towards this enemy threat against civilians worldwide – actions which have led to the U.S.’s frequent drone strikes targeting al Shabaab militants within Somalia’s borders, a conflict that has been ongoing since its initiation two years earlier as an effective tactic implemented jointly alongside their partners who constitute locally supported ground forces in this region of Africa.