BERLIN (AP) – Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday ordered a review by the military of an investigation into a January 2020 militant attack on the Manda Bay military base in Kenya that killed three Americans and injured three others.
In a written statement announcing Austin’s decision, his press secretary, John Kirby, did not specify what Austin was missing in the initial investigation conducted by US Africa Command. By apparent coincidence, Austin plans to meet with Africa Command officials in Stuttgart, Germany, on Tuesday, as part of a wider tour of Europe to consult with allies and talk to US commanders. He will also meet separately with officials from the US European Command, also in Stuttgart.
“An independent review will provide greater insight, perspective and the ability to assess the totality of this tragic event involving multiple military services and divisions of the Department of Defense,” Kirby said.
Kirby said Austin, after reviewing the results of Africa Command’s investigation, which have not been publicly released, ordered the military to select a four-star general to conduct the investigation. The Army chose General Paul Funk, Commander of Army Training and Doctrine Command. Funk is a veteran combat veteran who has served six deployments in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It is the Secretary’s wish to ensure that a full investigation is conducted and the factors that contributed to this tragic event are taken into account, and that appropriate measures are taken to mitigate the risk of future events,” said Kirby. “The families affected earn nothing less.”
The attack by al-Shabab militants on Manda Bay base destroyed six planes, killed three Americans and wounded three others.
The base, in the Kenyan resort town, was overrun by 30 to 40 of Al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgents on January 5, 2020, marking Al-Shabab’s first attack on US forces in the East African country. The pre-dawn attack caused a lengthy shootout and day-long struggle for US and Kenyan forces to search and secure the base.
The base in Manda Bay has been used by the US military for years, but only became a full-time airfield in 2016, with more personnel, aircraft and operations.
The first phase of the attack came near dawn, when 20 to 30 al-Shabab militants slipped through the forest and fired rocket shells at the airfield at the base. The opening rounds of grenades quickly killed one soldier in a truck and injured another, killing two contractors in a plane and injuring each other. About a mile away, other militants fired at Camp Simba, part of the base where US troops are stationed.
Marines from Camp Simba initially responded to the attack site and began to fight back against the militants who had reached the airport and buildings. But it took Kenyan and US security forces all day to finally destroy the attack, search the airport and secure the area.
Air Force Colonel Chris Karns, spokesman for US Africa Command, said there was “a lot of rigor” into the investigation, which resulted in some immediate improvements. He said the goal was to reassure families and the American public “that we have done everything we can to understand the situation and take appropriate action.”
The investigation team has “made findings and recommendations that are beyond the scope of the US Africa Command and beyond the scope of the US Africa Command, so we fully support the additional independent review led by the Secretary of Defense,” said Karns. “We are confident in the report’s findings and remain committed to solutions and improvements in Kenya and across the continent.”
Kenya has been an important base for the fight against al-Shabab, which is based in Somalia and is one of the world’s most resilient extremist organizations. Al-Shabab has committed a number of attacks in Kenya, including against civilian targets in buses, schools and shopping centers.
Al-Shabab had been the target of a growing number of US airstrikes in Somalia during President Donald Trump’s administration. But Trump ordered the withdrawal of the roughly 700 US troops there late last year, and most of those troops were withdrawn from the country in mid-January. According to officials, there are now well under 100 US troops in Somalia.
Austin has launched a review of America’s military stance around the world.