The recent attack by the Al Shabaab terrorists on an airfield owned by the Kenya Military Defence Airforce in Mandu Bay island, in Lamu Town has resulted in casualties.
According to a press statement from the United States ( U.S.) Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, the attack has left one U.S. service man dead and two contractors from the Department of Defense (D.o.D) injured, though their names have been withheld due to privacy concerns.
There are plans to evacuate the wounded Americans.
The U.S. Army General and Commander of the U.S. Africa Command, Mr Stephen Townsend, said that the world’s superpower is committed against terrorist crimes being undertaken either on its soil or in countries that it is in partnership with.
” Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of our teammates who lost their lives. Alongside our African and international partners, we will pursue those responsible for this attack and those who seek to harm American interests. We remain committed to preventing the Al Shabaab from maintaining a safe haven against the U.S. homeland, East African and international partners,” he says.
According to the U.S. embassy, the Mandu Bay attack involves the use of indirect and the fire of small arms.
The combined effort of the Kenya Defense Forces and U.S. Africa Command were instrumental in warding off the Al Shabaab terrorists who had managed to penetrate the perimeter fence of the island, which primarily acts as a training ground by the U.S. forces of its African partners, as well as a base for responding to crises and protecting interests of America in strategic areas.
“The work that our U.S. forces are doing in East Africa bolsters partnerships, counters malign influence as well as maintains critical pressures on terrorist networks,” says U.S. Army General Townsend.
” Our efforts directly contribute to counter-terrorism, maritime surveillance and intelligence sharing missions with our Kenyan partners. This activity enhances our stability and security in the region, and America,” he says.
According to the U.S. Embassy, 12 years ago, the American government classified the Al Shabaab as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, which has not been afraid to engage large forces in surprise and assymetric tactics.
The Mandu Bay attack comes five days after a similar Al Shabaab terrorist car bombing attack in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, which has resulted in the deaths of 81 people and the U.S. Africa Command responded with three air strikes.
According to Al Jazeera, the goal of the Al Shabaab in Somalia is to oust the current government.
The Mandu Bay island Al Shabaab terrorist attack has elicited reactions from analysts and observers alike.
” The attack in Mandu Bay is a reminds of the vulnerability of the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) port in Lamu, where the first three berths are ready and operations are ready and are shortly to be launched. Al Shabaab will see it as an enticing target, alas,” says Mr Adrian Bloomfield, a journalist who has written for both The Economist and Telegraph.
While one Lappset berth was complete in December 2018 and delivery of the next two berths to be complete within a 45-month period, states news agency Xinhua, all of them are being financed by the Kenyan government to the tune of $ 480 million and having a capacity of 13.5 million tonnes.
There are, however, 29 other berths under Lappset.
According to research, the goal of Lappset transport infrastructure project, which was conceived in 1975, is one that will not only ensure that those in the northern part of Kenya get access to the benefits that come with the transport project, such as Eastern African trade, but also ensure that they will not be marginalised from development.
