World Trump orders departure of majority of 700 U.S. troops in Somalia

President Trump ordered the departure of most of roughly 700 U.S. troops in Somalia by early 2021, defense officials said Friday, a significant change for personnel focused on counterterror missions in the region.

U.S. Army Spc. Kevin Martin at an unidentified location in Somalia in June (Tech. Sgt. Christopher Ruano/Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa via AP)

Many of the forces will be redeployed to neighboring Kenya, which hosts a contingent of U.S. forces, according to a U.S. defense official who declined to provide a name to frankly discuss the decision.

The force adjustment moves Trump closer to fulfilling his promise to end U.S. involvement in foreign wars, though thousands of U.S. troops remain engaged in conflicts around the globe in the final days of his presidency.

CIA Officer Killed in Somalia Is 136th Known to Have Died Serving Spy Agency

The officer was reported to be involved in a CIA operation against the jihadist organization Al-Shabab, which is waging an insurgency in the country.The unnamed individual is the 136th CIA officer known to have been killed on active duty with the CIA. While the agency does not routinely comment on its operations abroad, it tweeted in September that its memorial wall featured 135 stars honoring officers who "gave their lives in service to their country.

Year. 1992. Month Day. December 04. President Bush orders U . S . troops to Somalia . President George H.W. Bush orders 28,000 U . S . troops to Somalia , a war-torn East African nation where rival warlords were preventing the distribution of humanitarian aid to thousands of starving Somalis.

President Trump ordered U . S . troops out of Syria and is weighing a possible drawdown in Afghanistan. Now Somalia could see a reduced role for U . S Candice Tresch said, "There have been no recent policy changes regarding U . S . operations in Somalia . We continue to support the Federal

The Pentagon sought to reassure allies in the region that the change did not mean disengagement.

“The U.S. is not withdrawing or disengaging from Africa,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “We will continue to degrade violent extremist organizations that could threaten our homeland while ensuring we maintain our strategic advantage in great power competition.”

U.S. forces in Somalia focus on training and advising Somali forces who face al-Shabab, a wing of al-Qaeda. It is not clear what the shift means for the larger presence in Somalia, including CIA operations.

Some U.S. service members may also shift to neighboring Djibouti. The installation is the only permanent U.S. base on the continent.

The U.S. military announced last month that it would reduce troop levels from about 5,000 to 2,500 in Afghanistan and from about 3,000 to 2,500 in Iraq by Jan. 15.

Acting defense secretary Christopher C. Miller said in announcing those cuts that the military would "execute this repositioning in a way that protects our fighting men and women, our partners in the intelligence community, our diplomatic corps and our superb allies.”

Miller visited Somalia in late November, a first for a defense secretary.

Dan Lamothe contributed to this report.