By Larry Luxner, The Diplomatic Pouch

After nearly a quarter-century without an ambassador in the United States, war-ravaged Somalia finally has one: Ahmed Awad.

The 60-year-old diplomat’s appointment comes two years after Washington and Mogadishu renewed bilateral relations, and 24 years after the last Somali ambassador left town as the impoverished East African country descended into civil war.

“In August 2012, the current government of Somalia came into being, and the international community, led by the United States, saw it as the most representative, legitimate government that Somalia has had since the collapse of the Somali state in 1991,” Awad told the Diplomatic Pouch. “But only now are we establishing an embassy.”

That embassy will be housed in a third-floor office suite along DeSales Street, and should open in the next few weeks, said Awad.

Yet no similar U.S. diplomatic outpost will open in Somalia anytime soon. Until now, a Somali Unit has been embedded at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. That mission has been expanded to embassy status, but will remain in Nairobi for the foreseeable future.

“There will not be a U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu right away, but there will be formal, official representation, and there will be frequent visits to Somalia,” Awad told us. “And if the security situation allows, the embassy will eventually move to Somalia.”

Al-Shabaab, a militant Islamist group that took over most of southern Somalia in late 2006, is responsible for a string of murderous attacks throughout East Africa, including the 2013 Westgate shopping mall massacre in Nairobi that left 67 people dead and more than 175 injured.

Yet Awad claims the vicious terrorist group is on its last legs and is dying.

“Somalia is seen as a place of piracy and al-Shabaab terrorism, but we want to give Americans a complete picture,” said Awad. “While it’s true these issues have bedeviled Somalia for some time, there’s been a lot of improvement, and Americans are witnesses to that. With the support of the African Union, Somalia has been able to rejoin the international community and to defeat al-Shabaab.”

Awad studied political science and conflict resolution and for the past 10 years worked in Sudan as part of the United Nations peacekeeping operations there. From 2001 to 2004, he was chief of staff to Somalia’s prime minister in the transitional government.

He told us that his priorities as ambassador will be “to cement our relationship with the United States, to raise the profile of Somalia, and to improve the image of our country.”

As ambassador, Awad joins a slew of other new diplomats in town.

Source: The Diplomatic Pouch