Somalia’s new president is criticizing the revised U.S. travel ban, telling journalists that “definitely” he would prefer it be lifted and reminding the United States that it has a large Somali community.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who holds both U.S. and Somali citizenship after having lived for many years in the United States, spoke on Tuesday during a visit by the United Nations secretary-general.

Mohamed says Somalis in the U.S. “have contributed to the U.S. economy and the U.S. society in different ways, and we have to talk about what the Somali people have contributed rather than a few people who may cause a problem.”

Somalia’s president also acknowledged his country’s security challenges and says his government must “address the root cause, which is the security situation here and how to defeat al-Shabab” extremists.

Source: AP