A section of Somali leaders have expressed their concern following abrupt withdrawal of Kenya Defense Forces from the only remaining camp in Jubaland at the northern sector, reports the Nation.
KDF, under Lindi Nchi Operation, pitched camp in Somalia in 2011 and since then, the Kenyan troops have registered several victories and a few losses which include deaths of soldiers with the 2016 El Adde incident being the worst calamity.
On Tuesday, KDF team, currently working under Amisom, withdrew from one of the last camps in Somalia northern sector, causing fears among the locals over the possible return of Al-Shabaab militants.
On Tuesday morning, a contingent of troops made the final withdrawal from Busar.
“Our people spotted the troops heading towards the Somali border. They destroyed their military base before leaving,” a senior politician from Gedo, who requested not to be named for fear of reprisals by both KDF and Somali security forces, told the Nation.
Busar is in Gedo region, where KDF recorded their greatest loss in history during the El Adde attack, in which about 200 soldiers died.
Aw Hirsi, the Minister for Planning and International Cooperation in Jubaland, told the Nation that the withdrawal had left the people uncertain as to whether the departure of the Kenyans could secure the region's lasting peace and tranquillity, or whether it could further land their weary souls into the hands of Al-Shabaab militants.
KDF operated bases in Bardera, Busar and El Adde, all of which it has since abandoned. It also had forward operating bases FOBs in Taraka and Fafadun, from which it also withdrew.
Department of Defence Spokesperson Bogita Ongeri and KDF spokesperson Paul Njoroge declined to respond to the Nation's queries on what necessitated the movement of KDF troops towards the border.
Throughout the last parliament (11th), politicians from both government and opposition were divided on whether or not Kenyan troops should pull out of Somalia, with the Raila Odinga led team pushing for a strategic exit, a move opposed to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The recent development could mean that the government may have after all yielded to pressure from the opposition. At that time, there were increased terror attacks by suspected Al-Shabaab militants, precipitating calls by the opposition to have troops withdrawn to protect Kenyan borders.
Also, Kenyan troops have been fairly hit with at least 200 soldiers killed at once at El Adde, a camp in Jubaland.
At the Southern sector, KDF troops are still active in several towns including Kismayu, a town once treated as a hotbed of terror in Somalia.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this article indicated that there was panic in Somalia after the withdrawal of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from Somalia. This has since been corrected.