US secretary of state John Kerry has arrived in Somali capital Mogadishu on Tuesday in unannounced visit.
He was welcomed by Somali government officials in the high security Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu.
In his meetings with federal and regional government officials including the President and PM, they discussed security cooperation and Somalia’s progress towards meeting its reform and development benchmarks in view of its 2016 elections.
US is largest financier of African Union operations in Somalia and has regularly conducted drone strikes against the key leaders of the armed group Al Shabaab,
It has also admitted the presence of contingent of U.S. military personnel in Somalia for several years.
In February this year, President Obama nominated Katherine S. Dhanani as the first U.S. ambassador to Somalia since the broke out of the civil war.
Kerry is the first U.S. secretary of state to ever visit recuperating war torn horn of African nation.
