There is a danger incursions may backfire

KENYA’S push north into Somalia will open another front that Somali militants must contend with.

However, foreign incursions into Somalia have frequently backfired and acted as a recruiter for younger members of the Somali diaspora, from Kenya itself and Western countries.

The most notable such venture was the invasion by Ethiopian forces in 2006, with the aim of propping up Somalia’s UN-backed Transitional Government against Islamic militants.

Troops sent by Addis Ababa engaged with forces of the Islamic Courts Union, a movement that became al-Shabaab. In many respects, the conflict was a proxy war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which backed the union.