The US and Somalia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Thursday to enhance the operational capabilities of the Somali army.
Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur signed the MoU and the US charge d’affaires in Mogadishu.
Senior officials from both sides, including Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee, who arrived in the country on Thursday, attended the signing ceremony in the capital Mogadishu.
According to state media, the agreement will see the US construct five “well-equipped” military bases for the national army’s commando force known as the Danab Brigade.
The Danab Brigade is one of the country’s elite forces who have been fighting the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab since Mohamud declared an “all-out war” against the terror outfit following his reelection in May 2022.
Earlier, Phee met with Mohamud amid tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia over Addis Ababa’s Red Sea access deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland, despite diplomatic efforts to calm the situation.
Somalia has rejected the deal, which was signed without the approval of the central government, calling it an “illegitimate” agreement.
On Wednesday, Phee visited Ethiopia to meet with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and discuss regional and multilateral issues.