Somalia’s Minister of Internal Security, Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, met with the African Union’s special representative on Saturday to discuss the country’s political and security situation.
The meeting included Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene and a delegation from the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
They focused on ongoing security operations, political cooperation and efforts to combat al-Shabab and other extremist groups destabilizing the region.
Ambassador Diene praised Somalia’s recent military operations that ousted al-Shabab from Barire town in the Lower Shabelle region.
He also reaffirmed the AU’s commitment to supporting Somalia’s stabilization and the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to Somali forces.
The meeting came amid intensified operations by Somali forces, with AUSSOM and international partners, to push al-Shabab out of rural strongholds.
