U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Somalia?s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday on an unannounced visit, the first trip by a U.S. Secretary of State to the Horn of Africa nation that is battling an al-Shabab insurgency after two decades of civil war.
The meetings with Mr. Mohamud, the Prime Minister and provincial leaders were held inside the perimeter of Mogadishu?s airport, surrounded by seven-foot walls of sandbags. ?This is a great moment for us,? Mr. Mohamud said as he greeted Mr. Kerry. He remarked that the capital had changed over the past two years and even the roads were congested with traffic. ?The roads are less bumpy and we have traffic jams,? he said. Mr. Kerry replied: ?Traffic jams! Well, you?re getting normal.?
The U.S. and Western nations have poured aid into Somalia to help reconstruction and prevent it sliding back into the hands of al-Shabab.
