Hmm Interesting!!

[Bermooda]

The US has finally woken up to reality that using African mercenaries hasn't worked and will never work in and that the only option to secure the country is through the SNA.

Those U.S. plans include greater military engagement and new funds for training and assistance for the Somali National Army (SNA), after years of working with the African Union Mission in Somalia, or AMISOM, which has about 22,000 troops in the country from Uganda, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Djibouti and Ethiopia.

Those U.S. plans include greater military engagement and new funds for training and assistance for the Somali National Army (SNA), after years of working with the African Union Mission in Somalia, or AMISOM, which has about 22,000 troops in the country from Uganda, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Djibouti and Ethiopia.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/ ... =worldNews

[SultanOrder]

Saxiib everyone knew the limitations of Amisom, but the problem is that you can't properly train troops in the middle of a war. So Amisom was used to give the government breathing room while they develop a proper army and some kind of government. They probably have had a plan worked out long ago and everything is being implemented in stages.

[Bermooda]

You could be right but something tells me they greatly underestimated Shabaab and really believed they could achieve victory this time with Amisom.

[Based]

Is this the same SNA that routinely breaks along clan lines and tries to wipe itself out every few weeks?

[Bermooda]

Those aren't the SNA but mostly former active clan militias who who filled the gap due to the lack of attention and funds the army got from the IC. These militia will be demobilized in the near future.

[SultanOrder]

You could be right but something tells me they greatly underestimated Shabaab and really believed they could achieve victory this time with Amisom.

I don't think so. Remember they had over 10yrs exp in Iraq and Afghanistan. They know how strong these movements are an how ineffective these governments can be. But they have patience and when the political climate is right then they move to next stage. For example a lot of this money is from the money Obama asked to spend fighting Assad. Before he couldn't get the money politically. Secondly, Alshabab isn't a threat to US interests directly, so not a big priority.

[Based]

Those aren't the SNA but mostly former active clan militias who who filled the gap due to the lack of attention and funds the army got from the IC. These militia will be demobilized in the near future.

How can anybody ensure proper representation of all clans in a significantly beefed up SNA, especially with the federalism madness?

Can you imagine one clan dominating an SNA equipped tanks, howitzers, and air power?

[thegoodshepherd]

Can you imagine one clan dominating an SNA equipped tanks, howitzers, and air power?

And there lies the dilemma!! No clan wants SNA troops from another clan in their land, even if they are fighting against AS.
The SNA is currently fairly weak, but is dominated by the clan that inhabits Xamar.
The expansion of such a force into the rest of the country especially anywhere outside that clan's lands will be very touchy.
Once AS is defeated and the president tries to consolidate the nation's lands with a one clan army, all hell will break loose, especially if they try to "liberate" any area west of the Juba river.

[Bermooda]

thegoodshepherd every region has its own clan SNA dont act like its one way streets. The question is how to indoctrinate them into being loyal to the state than his clan or at least put it at the back of their mind while breaking up the clan battalions and mixing them up.

Maybe they can learn something from shabaab where even regions that have huge clan tension they appoint a none native leader.