Our partnership has resulted in stable and prospering Somalia, outgoing U.S ambassador says

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Somalia Larry Andre’ has lauded the partnership between his country and Somalia acknowledging significant gains in stabilizing and developing the Horn of Africa nation.

In his final remarks before leaving the country, Andre said the close collaboration between Somalia and the U.S. had resulted opened vast economic activities, sending thousands of children to school and ensuring sustainable livelihoods among communities.

“Our security partnership allows communities once subjugated to oppression and extortion under violent extremism to live in peace and begin to build back toward prosperity,’ the US diplomat said.

He noted that the US will continue training and equipping Somali Security Forces ‘to support the Government of Somalia and Somalia’s security forces to extend Somalia’s sovereignty over all its territory.’

Ambassador Andre said his country’s support to Somalia amounting to $1.3 billion– more than 70 percent of all humanitarian funding – has prevented famine and staved off starvation.  Safe drinking water and emergency health care provided by the United States have prevented outbreaks of cholera and measles.  For Somalia to build a unified, strong, and democratic country, it needs all its people, the ambassador added.

He observed that 100,000 students are back in school because of the partnership between the Ministry of Education and USAID while 8,000 farmers are linked to markets and equipped with improved irrigation techniques because of investments from the United States.

Ambassador Andre was posted to Somalia in January 2022 and has now completed his tenure.