WASHINGTON: The United States and Somalia yesterday launched a new era of diplomatic relations, as Washington recognized the African nation’s government for the first time
since 1991.
“Today is a milestone. It is not the end of the journey, but it is an important milestone towards that end,” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said after talks with new Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
“For the first time since 1991, the United States is recognising the government of Somalia,” she said, adding Washington now wanted “an open, transparent dialogue about what more we can do to help the people of Somalia realise their own dream.”
The move turns the page on the darkest chapter in ties between the two nations. AFP
