That would all change if foreign forces were to leave and there is no exit plan yet for the AU mission, known as AMISOM, as the Somali national army and police force are a long way from standing alone.
“Right now we still have more militias instead of trained soldiers,” said AMISOM spokesperson Col. Ali Aden Houmed.
Houmed noted that basic problems persist, such as paying soldiers on time, which in the past was one of the reasons cited for defections from the army to Al Shabab.
“We will train, we will equip, we will wage war for and with them, but this is their country and they have to hold their own security,” said Houmed. “I think it’s coming.”
Alpha Group, which was among the first responders to Saturday’s attack, was mentioned by name when both the Prime Minister and AMISOM issued statements praising the work of Somalia’s quick reaction forces.
It is unclear how the Alpha Group and Danab will work together — since both are focusing primarily on counterterrorism.