Kenya's military in Somalia: Linda Nchi, AMISOM and El Adde

In short

Kenya has had troops in southern Somalia since October 2011, first in its own operation and then as one of the main contingents of the AU missions, holding sectors in the Jubba regions and Gedo. This page records their record from the sources. It is part of Foreign forces in Somalia. Al-Shabaab's attacks inside the country are covered in Al-Shabaab's attacks in Uganda and Kenya.

Operation Linda Nchi, 2011–2012

On 16 October 2011 Kenyan forces crossed into southern Somalia in Operation Linda Nchi ("protect the country"), saying they aimed to create a buffer against al-Shabaab after kidnappings near the border. About 2,400 troops crossed at first. Kenya agreed in November 2011 to place its forces under AMISOM, which it formally joined in June 2012. Kismayo was taken on 28 September 2012 by AMISOM, the Somali army and the Ras Kamboni militia (Wikipedia, Operation Linda Nchi, citing Reuters, the BBC and the International Crisis Group). See Raskamboni movement and Jubaland security forces.

El Adde, January 2016

At dawn on 15 January 2016 al-Shabaab fighters overran the Kenyan base at El Adde in Gedo. Paul D. Williams of the International Peace Institute called it Kenya's "largest ever military defeat". Reports of how many soldiers were at the base ranged from a company of about 100 to 200; officials familiar with the recovery told CNN that "at least 141" Kenyan soldiers were killed, which would make it al-Shabaab's deadliest attack on Kenyans, and likely the AU mission's largest loss in a single battle (Paul D. Williams, The Battle at El Adde, International Peace Institute, July 2016). Somalia's president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, said in February that about 200 had died; the Kenya Defence Forces spokesman said: "It is not true. This information never came from us." Kenya gave no figure (Al Jazeera, 25 February 2016).

The air campaign that followed. The UN Monitoring Group reported that attacks by Kenyan and other forces in Gedo after El Adde, including an intense air campaign, killed at least 12 civilians, destroyed homes, water points and livestock, and displaced at least 8,600 people. Somalia's government told the UN Human Rights Council that Kenyan air strikes had "targeted civilian areas and caused heavy casualties". Kenya called the Group's account "erroneous" (UN Monitoring Group, S/2016/919, paras. 71–73).

Kulbiyow, January 2017. On 27 January 2017 al-Shabaab attacked the Kenyan base at Kulbiyow near the border. Reported deaths ranged from nine (a Kenyan military spokesman) to more than 60 in other reports (Long War Journal, January 2017).

The charcoal trade

The UN Security Council banned Somali charcoal exports in 2012. The Monitoring Group reported in 2013, 2014 and 2016 that the Kenyan contingent played "a substantial role" in the illicit export of charcoal. In 2016 it wrote that, according to industry and NGO sources, Kenyan forces received a fee of $2 per bag for charcoal exported from Kismayo, a port "effectively under their control", and that a Kenyan base stood next to the charcoal stockpile at Buur Gaabo. It said this was "not conclusive proof" of direct involvement there, but showed Kenyan forces were not stopping exports. It wrote to the head of AMISOM and received no reply (S/2016/919, para. 134). See UN Monitoring Group on Somalia.

Sources differ

• El Adde deaths. Al-Shabaab claimed more than 100; officials cited by CNN said at least 141; Somalia's president said about 200; Kenya did not publish a figure.
• Troops at El Adde. A company of about 100, 160, or 200, depending on the source (Williams, 2016).
• Air strikes in Gedo. The UN group and Somalia's government reported civilian harm; Kenya rejected the account.

Read the primary sources yourself

• Paul D. Williams, The Battle at El Adde: The Kenya Defence Forces, al-Shabaab, and Unanswered Questions, International Peace Institute (2016): PDF.
• UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, S/2016/919 (2016): PDF.