BERLIN (AP) – Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday ordered an army review of an investigation into a January 2020 militant assault on a military base in Manda Bay, Kenya, that killed three Americans and injure three more.
In a written statement announcing Austin’s decision, its press secretary, John Kirby, did not specify what Austin was missing in the initial investigation, which was led by the U.S. African Command. Coincidentally, Austin plans to meet with African Command officers in Stuttgart, Germany, on Tuesday as part of a larger tour of Europe to consult with allies and talk to U.S. commanders. He will also meet separately with US European Command officials, also in Stuttgart.
“An independent review will provide additional vision, perspective and capacity to assess the entirety of this tragic event involving various military services and components of the Department of Defense,” Kirby said.
Kirby said that after considering the results of the Africa Command investigation, which have not been published publicly, Austin decided to order the Army to choose a four-star general to conduct the review. The army chose General Paul Funk, commander of the Army’s Doctrine and Training Command. Funk is an experienced combat veteran who served six deployments in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It is the secretary’s will to ensure that there is a full examination and consideration of the factors that contributed to this tragic event and that appropriate steps are taken to reduce the risk of future occurrence,” Kirby said. “Affected families deserve nothing less.”
The attack by al-Shabab militants at the base of Manda Bay destroyed six planes in addition to killing three Americans and wounding three more.
The base, at the Kenyan coastal station, was flooded by 30 to 40 al-Qaeda-linked insurgents on January 5, 2020, marking the first al-Shabab attack on U.S. forces in the country. ‘East Africa. The pre-evening assault sparked a lengthy firefight and a day for U.S. and Kenyan forces to search and secure the base.
The Manda Bay base has been used for years by the U.S. military, but only became a full-time airfield in 2016, with an increase in personnel, aircraft and operations.
The initial phase of the assault came in the early hours of the morning, when 20 to 30 al-Shabab militants slipped through the forest and fired rocket-propelled grenades at the base’s airfield. The first rounds of grenades quickly killed one soldier in one truck and wounded another, and killed two contractors in one plane and wounded another. About a mile down the road, other militants fired on Simba Camp, a section of the base where U.S. forces are stationed.
Marines from Camp Simba initially responded to the scene of the attack and began fighting militants, who had arrived at the airfield and buildings. But it lasted all day until Kenyan and US security forces ended the attack, searched the airfield and secured the area.
Air Force Colonel Chris Karns, a spokesman for the U.S. Africa Command, said “a great deal of rigor” was put into the investigation, prompting a number of immediate improvements. He said the goal has been to reassure families and the American public “that we have done our best to understand the situation and take appropriate action.”
The research team made “conclusions and recommendations that do not pertain to the competence and ability to carry out U.S. command in U.S. Africa. We therefore fully support the additional independent review led by the Secretary of defense, “Karns said. “We are confident of the report’s findings and remain committed to ensuring solutions and improvements in Kenya and across the continent.”
Kenya has been a key base in the fight against al-Shabab, based in Somalia and one of the most resilient extremist organizations in the world. Al-Shabab has launched several attacks in Kenya, including against civilian targets against buses, schools and shopping malls.
Al-Shabab had been the target of a growing number of U.S. airstrikes in Somalia during the administration of President Donald Trump. But Trump late last year ordered the withdrawal of about 700 U.S. forces there, and most of those troops were withdrawn from the country in mid-January. According to officials, there are now far fewer than 100 U.S. soldiers in Somalia.
Austin has launched a review of the U.S. military stance around the world.