Somalia: US reopens embassy after almost 30 years

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The United States has reopened its embassy in Somalia, almost 30 years after closing it during the midst of civil war in the Horn of Africa nation.

The US embassy in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, closed in 1991 after then-President Siad Barre was overthrown and a chaotics civil war erupted in the country. However, diplomatic relations have strengthened between the two countries in recent years and the US embassy in Mogadishu has, once again, opened its doors.

US reopens embassy in Somalia

“Today we reaffirm the relations between the American people and the Somali people, and our two nations,” said Donald Yamamoto, the US ambassador to Somalia, in a statement on Wednesday.

“It is a significant and historic day that reflects Somalia’s progress in recent years, and another step forward in regularising US diplomatic engagement in Mogadishu since recognising the federal government of Somalia in 2013,” he added.

The move comes as US military involvement in Somalia continues to increase in a bid to destroy militant group al-Shabaab.

Featured image: By TSGT Perry Heimer – U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38606721

About Aaron Brooks

Aaron Brooks is a UK journalist who wants to cut out the international agendas in news. Spending his early years in both England and Northern Ireland he saw the difference between reality and media coverage at an early age. After graduating from the University of Chester with a BA in journalism, his travels revealed just how large the gap between news and the real world can be. As Editor-in-Chief at East Africa Monitor, it’s his job to provide a balanced view of what’s going on in the region for English-speaking audiences.