The United States has confirmed that its troops have left Baledogle Military Airfield in southern Somalia, relocating most personnel to Mogadishu after the base’s runway deteriorated and repairs became prohibitively expensive.
Army Lt. Gen. John Brennan, deputy commander of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), said the move was “100% an economic decision,” and explained that the runway’s surface had degraded to the point where landing aircraft was becoming dangerous, while resurfacing it would have cost tens of millions of dollars, Shabelle Media Network reported on November 11.
The confirmation came days after Stars and Stripes reported that all American troops had left the airfield, which lies about 90 km northwest of Mogadishu in Lower Shabelle region.
Baledogle has served for more than a decade as a key US counterterrorism hub, supporting intelligence gathering, airstrikes and operations against al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked militant group. It has also been used to train Somalia’s elite Danab special forces.
Despite the departure, Brennan said the decision does not reduce US support for Somali forces fighting al-Shabaab. Officials said American troops may eventually return to Baledogle if conditions change, although no timetable or formal plan has been announced.
The withdrawal comes as Somalia faces renewed al-Shabab attacks and a drawdown of African Union forces from several towns, including Barawe. Uganda has also begun withdrawing troops after nearly two decades in the country, adding to concerns about security capacity in areas previously held by international forces.
