WASHINGTON, United States – The new commander of the US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) has pledged continued American engagement in Somalia but signalled a potential strategic shift, while issuing a stark warning about growing cooperation between Al-Shabaab militants and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
General Dagvin Anderson, an Air Force special operations pilot confirmed last week to lead AFRICOM, told US lawmakers that maintaining a presence in the Horn of Africa nation remains vital to American interests, even as the nature of that support may evolve.
“I do believe that the area is volatile. Al-Shabaab has shown the desire and the will to attack the United States and US interests,” Anderson stated during his confirmation hearing.
He becomes the first airman to command AFRICOM since its establishment in 2007, a role previously held by Army and Marine Corps generals. His appointment comes at a critical time for Somalia, which faces a persistent Islamist insurgency and the impending withdrawal of African Union peacekeepers.
A volatile region, a new threat
General Anderson highlighted a particularly concerning new development: an emerging alliance across the Red Sea. He expressed deep concern over intelligence suggesting collaboration between Somalia’s Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, and the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
“The concern is the cooperation across the Red Sea with the Houthis, whom the Iranians back,” Anderson warned. “This could give them not just the will but also the capability to attack the US or its interests more robustly.”
The Houthis have already caused significant disruption to international commerce with a series of attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. A partnership with Al-Shabaab, which controls territory in southern and central Somalia, could amplify the threat to maritime security in one of the world’s most critical waterways.
The US military continues to conduct counter-terrorism operations in support of the Somali government. On Friday, the same day Anderson was confirmed, AFRICOM announced it had conducted an airstrike against Al-Shabaab fighters in the vicinity of Barire, a town in the Lower Shabelle region.
A key task for the new commander will be to evaluate the focus of US engagement in Somalia’s complex political landscape. The country is marked by persistent tensions between the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) in Mogadishu and its semi-autonomous Federal Member States (FMS).
“It is in our interest to have some level of engagement in that region,” Anderson told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Whether that is with the Federal Government or the member states is something I would have to assess if confirmed.”
This decision will have significant implications for US policy, which has historically tried to balance support for the central government with engagement in the states, which are often on the front lines of the fight against Al-Shabaab.
General Anderson is no stranger to the continent, having previously served as the head of Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA), the AFRICOM component responsible for coordinating the activities of elite US troops across Africa.
Funding under scrutiny
The strategic review coincides with legislative efforts in Washington that could reshape US financial support for regional peacekeeping. The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) is scheduled to complete its withdrawal by the end of 2024, with a new, Somali-led security framework expected to take over.
A follow-on AU-led mission, tentatively named the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), has been proposed. However, its funding is uncertain.
A bill currently before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the “AUSSOM Funding Restriction Bill, 2025,” seeks to block the use of US-assessed dues to the United Nations for the new Somalia mission. This challenges a landmark 2023 UN Security Council Resolution 2719, which for the first time authorized the use of UN funding for African Union-led peace operations.
The proposed bill includes exceptions, stating the restriction would not apply to funds for the UN’s logistical arm in Somalia (UNSOS), voluntary US contributions, or money appropriated explicitly by Congress to support AUSSOM.
Nonetheless, the legislation introduces a significant hurdle for the future of international security assistance in Somalia, placing greater emphasis on the effectiveness and direction of direct US support under General Anderson’s new command.