Somali President, US Defense Secretary Hold Talks in Djibouti

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, discussed issues of combating terrorism and strengthening US support for Somali Armed Forces.

During their meeting on Monday, in Djibouti,  Somali President referred to “ Somali army's efforts, in cooperation with Somali people, regarding the liberation of the remaining areas, siezed by Al-Shabaab militias linked to Al-Qaeda.”

"The militias constitute an obstacle to the development of the region as they threaten the region's security, and all of this requires international cooperation in order to eliminate extremists," he added.

For his part, the US Secretary of Defense praised the progress made by the Somali government in the war against terrorism, noting the US commitment to helping Somalia to ensure security and combat terrorism.