President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Somalia, the third warzone from which the outgoing commander in chief has pledged to draw down troops.

The announcement late Friday followed widespread speculation that Trump would attempt to pull forces out of the East African conflict zone after newly appointed acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller confirmed last month the withdrawal of thousands of forces from Afghanistan and Iraq. Miller, who took over the position after Trump suddenly fired his last defense secretary, Mark Esper, visited Somalia during the Thanksgiving weekend in what was seen as a prelude to the withdrawal announcement.

The announcement did not specify when the roughly 700 troops currently in Somalia would leave, stating the withdrawals would take place "by early 2021." The Pentagon set deadlines for its withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan for the week before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

Analysts and officials see the controversial moves as indications that Trump is actively attempting to sow discord across the globe in an attempt to undermine Biden's initial weeks as president and follow through on campaign promises of extracting the U.S. from bloody and expensive overseas adventures.

The orders call for the withdrawal of "the majority of personnel and assets" from Somalia, including some that will move into neighboring countries "in order to allow cross-border operations by both U.S. and partner forces.'

"The U.S. is not withdrawing or disengaging from Africa," according to a Pentagon announcement. "We remain committed to our African partners and enduring support through a whole-of-government approach."

Home to the fated special operations raid in the early 1990s made famous by the film "Black Hawk Down," Somalia in recent decades has become a haven for extremist groups that pose a persistent threat to the U.S. An al-Qaida branch known as al-Shabaab and an affiliate of the Islamic State group have in recent years warred against one another while the U.S. has sought to bolster local forces and conduct strikes and raids against the groups. Some encounters have been deadly for the U.S., including one raid ordered by Trump in the first weeks of his administration that led to the death of a Navy SEAL.

The U.S. assesses al-Shabaab has as many as 7,000 fighters in Somalia, though those numbers are fluid.