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Trump Declares Somalia a War Zone

Relaxes rules intended to prevent civilian casualties.

President Donald Trump has ordered that measures intended to prevent civilian casualties in Somalia be relaxed, effectively declaring the country a war zone. On Wednesday, Trump reportedly signed a declaration that deemed Somalia an “area of active hostilities.” According to The New York Times, the move is intended to give top officials “more latitude” in the fight against Islamist insurgencies, including al-Shabab. “It’s very important and very helpful for us to have little more flexibility, a little bit more timeliness, in terms of decision-making process,” Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, the head of U.S. Africa Command, said this week.