BERLIN (AP) – Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday ordered a military review of an investigation into a January 2020 militant attack on Kenya’s Manda Bay military base, which killed three Americans and wounded three others.
In a written statement announcing Austin’s decision, his press secretary, John Kirby, did not identify what Austin lacked in the initial investigation, which was conducted by the US Africa Command. Coincidentally, Austin plans to meet with Africa Command officials in Stuttgart, Germany on Tuesday as part of a larger tour of Europe to consult with allies and discuss US commanders. He will also meet separately with officials at the US European Command, also in Stuttgart.
“An independent review will provide additional insight, insight and the ability to assess the entirety of this tragic event involving multiple military services and components of the Department of Defense,” Kirby said.
Kirby said that after considering the results of the Africa Command investigation, which were not publicly published, Austin decided to order the Army to choose a four-star general to conduct the review. The army elected General Paul Funk, commander of army training and doctrinal command. Funk is an experienced combat veteran who has served six deployments in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The secretary’s desire is to ensure that there is a full examination and analysis of the factors that contributed to this tragic event and that appropriate measures are taken to reduce the risk of its future occurrence,” Kirby said. “Affected families deserve nothing less.”
The attack by al-Shabab militants at Manda Bay base destroyed six planes in addition to killing three Americans and injuring three others.
The base, in the resort on the Kenyan coast, was overtaken by 30 to 40 of al-Qaeda-linked insurgents on January 5, 2020, marking the first al-Shabab attack on US forces in the East African country. The pre-morning attack sparked a long battle with fire and fighting throughout the day for U.S. and Kenyan forces to search and secure the base.
The base in Manda Bay has been used for years by the US military, but became a full-time aerodrome only in 2016, with increased staff, aircraft and operations.
The initial phase of the attack approached dawn, when 20 to 30 al-Shabab militants sneaked through the forest and fired rocket grenades at the base airfield. The first rounds of grenades quickly killed a soldier in a truck and injured another, killed two contractors on a plane and injured each other. About a mile down, other militants fired on Camp Simba, a section of the base where US forces were stationed.
Camp Simba’s sailors initially responded to the scene of the attack and began fighting militants, who arrived at the airfield and in buildings. But it took all day for security forces in Kenya and the United States to cancel the attack, search the airfield and secure the area.
Col. Air Force Chris Karns, a spokesman for the US Command for Africa, said “a great deal of rigor” had been put into the investigation, resulting in a number of immediate improvements. He said the goal was to reassure families and the American public “that we did our best to understand the situation and take appropriate action.”
The investigation team made “findings and recommendations that do not fall within the remit and ability to carry out the US Africa Order, so we fully support the additional independent review led by the Secretary of Defense,” Karns said. “We are confident in the report’s findings and remain committed to providing remedies and improvements in Kenya and across the continent.”
Kenya has been a key base in the fight against al-Shabab, which is based in Somalia and is one of the most resilient extremist organizations in the world. Al-Shabab has launched a series of attacks inside Kenya, including against civilian targets on buses, schools and shopping malls.
Al-Shabab had been the target of an increasing number of US airstrikes in Somalia during the administration of President Donald Trump. But late last year, Trump ordered the withdrawal of about 700 U.S. forces from there, and most of those troops were withdrawn from the country by mid-January. According to officials, there are now well under 100 US soldiers in Somalia.
Austin has launched a review of America’s military stance around the world.