Somalia PM holds meeting with US special envoy for Horn of Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya - Somalia's Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre held a strategic meeting with the US special envoy to the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer, at the time the region was struggling with instability coupled with violent extremism.

While Somalia is dealing with Al-Shabaab, IS-Somalia, and political tussles, civil war has almost crumbled Sudan, South Sudan, and Ethiopia, making the region unstable and insecure for trade and investment within the continent.

On Saturday, Barre, who is the government leader, discussed areas of mutual interests including fostering partnerships with the US, which is the major security and development partner of of the country.

"Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and Ambassador Mike Hammer deliberated on regional affairs and the USA's comprehensive developmental, humanitarian, and security collaboration with Somalia, exploring avenues to further enhance cooperation and support between the two nations," the PM office said.

"The United States is a crucial ally of Somalia, particularly in the transformation of the security sector and counterterrorism efforts aimed at fostering peace and stability across the Horn of Africa region."

Prime Minister Hamza expressed sincere appreciation to the United States Government for its steadfast support in upholding the independence, territorial integrity, and unity of the people and land of the Federal Republic of Somalia, it added.

The US trains elite Danab forces who are instrumental in the fight against Al-Shabaab besides providing aerial surveillance for the Somali National Army and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troops who are actively engaged in the Al-Shabaab war.

Already, the US has blacklisted dozens of Somali citizens believed to be financing terrorist activities. The US briefly withdrew from Somalia in 2021 but the US Africa Command made full return in 2022 after Somalia requested Senate for backup.

GAROWE ONLINE