Somalia’s army chief, Major General Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmoud, has met with Ruth Anne Stevens-Klitz, the acting head of the US Embassy in Somalia, to discuss strengthening defence cooperation and support for the country’s armed forces.
The meeting focused on expanding bilateral cooperation in security, military training and capacity-building, according to a statement on the talks.
The meeting comes as Somalia continues efforts to build up its national forces and assume greater responsibility for security amid its long-running fight against Al-Shabaab militants.
The United States has been a key security partner of Somalia, providing support to Somali forces as they battle the armed group, which has waged an insurgency against the federal government for more than a decade.
