The federal government of Somalia may delay planned operations against Al-Shabaab militants due to inadequate preparations and lack of confirmation from frontline nations whether they will participate in the crackdown or not, several months after a number of countries pledged to dispatch their troops.

Major General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhudin told VOA’s The Dossier that it doesn’t appear to him that troops from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti will participate in the second phase of operations dubbed “Operation Black Lion.” According to him, all indications are that the frontline nations “will not have immediate, direct participation”.

A few months ago, leaders from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti pledged to dispatch more soldiers to the country to assist those serving in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], the Somali National Army [SNA], and the US Africa Command in planned operations within Jubaland and Southwest states.

However, Muhudin says the countries did not inform them about whether they are still willing to participate.

“There is a preparation before an operation, I don’t see the preparation,” he said. “We are waiting for them but I don’t see they can be part of what we are working on now, considering their preparation.”

But despite the uncertainty, a senior military leader in the Kenya Defense Forces [KDF] told VOA that the country’s position on the pledge had not changed.

“From our perspective, we are still committed to Operation Black Lion,” the official said.

Presidents William Ruto [Kenya], Ismail Guelleh [Djibouti], and Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed promised to dispatch non-ATMIS troops to Somalia ahead of the second phase of operations against Al-Shabaab. The first phase which targeted HirShabelle and Galmadug states was termed as “successful”.

In their Feb communique, the leaders said that they agreed to “jointly plan and organize a robust operational campaign at the frontline states level, of search and destroy Al-Shabaab on multiple frontlines aiming at the key strategic Al-Shabaab strongholds across the south and central Somalia.”

The deputy president of Jubaland Mohamud Sayid Aden who is in Doolow town, where Ethiopia military activities have been taking place said there is a “delay in the timing” of the operation. According to him, economic reasons could have informed the delay.

Sayid Aden further dismissed claims that the ongoing conflict in the Amhara region of Ethiopia could have contributed to the unprecedented delay. Some reports indicate that a number of Ethiopian non-ATMIS soldiers have already crossed over to Somalia.

“It has no relation with the internal issues in Ethiopia because the troops Ethiopia allocated for Operation Black Lion are stationed alongside the border, from Doolow [Somalia] to Godey [Ethiopia] where I recently travelled,” he said.

But Muhudin says he is not giving up hope that the frontline countries could play a role in the offensive.

“If things change and they come back we’ll welcome, If they don’t return you can figure out that we are not going to sit around; the task awaits us,” he said.

Kenya has started mobilizing troops along her borders in what is viewed as a strategy to prevent the militants from further penetrating the porous border. In July, the country delayed the reopening of the Kenya-Somalia border due to increased Al-Shabaab activities in Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, and Lamu counties.