By Carol Morello

During the visit, Kerry invoked the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and praised the five African nations that have sent peacekeeping troops to Somalia to help rout al-Shabab militants from most major cities and towns.

“We all have a stake in what happens here in Somalia,” Kerry said. “The world cannot afford to have places on the map that are essentially ungoverned. We learned in 2001 what happens when that is the case, and we have seen on a continued basis with splinter groups how they are determined to do injury to innocent people and to whole nations by operating out of ungoverned spaces.”

Kerry’s visit was planned in great secrecy for security reasons. President Hassan Sheik Mohamud and Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke learned only recently that the secretary of state, not an undersecretary, would be visiting.

They had a light exchange before the meeting officially began. The Somali president told Kerry that his visit was a “great moment” for Somalia.

“The next time I come, we have to be able to just walk downtown,” Kerry told him.

Mohamud told Kerry that Mogadishu has changed dramatically in the past two years.

“The roads are less bumpy, and we have traffic jams,” he said.

That means the country was “getting normal,” Kerry joked.

“Step by step,” he added.

Daud Aweis, a spokesman for the president, predicted that Kerry’s visit would resonate with everyday Somalis, particularly as the country prepares for elections next year.

“It’s a big thing to Somalis to have such a high-level delegation come at such a critical time,” he said.

The stop came one day after Kerry said the United States would provide an extra $45 million for the United Nations to help an overwhelmed Kenya cope with 600,000 refugees who have fled civil unrest, terrorism and violence in Somalia and South Sudan.

On Wednesday, Kerry heads to Djibouti, where the U.S. military has a hub from which it launches drone airstrikes on militants in Somalia. He is expected to express his gratitude to the Djibouti government for accepting thousands of refugees fleeing civil unrest in Yemen.

Read more: Kerry makes historic Somalia visit

Source: Washington Post