- Title: SOMALIA: USAID chief makes rare visit to Somalia
- Date: 21st February 2013
- Summary: MOGADISHU, SOMALIA (FEBRUARY 21, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF AMERICAN DELEGATION AT NEWS CONFERENCE SOMALI PRESIDENT HASSAN SHEIKH MOHAMUD AND USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJIV SHAH ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Somali) SOMALI PRESIDENT, HASSAN SHEIKH MOHAMUD, SAYING: "We just discussed about ways and means in which the American people and government can help the Somali government and its people. This has gone very well." VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English ) USAID ADMINISTRATOR, RAJIC SHAH, SAYING: "Today we are proud to announce an additional 20 million US dollars commitment to the people of Somalia to support critical services in food and agriculture." NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING, MOHAMUD AND SHAH LEAVING
- Embargoed: 8th March 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Somalia
- City:
- Country: Somalia
- Topics: International Relations,Politics,Social Services / Welfare
- Reuters ID: LVA41A5HIXAS5ZL7MMUIXV9NB20Y
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: The administrator of the U.S. Agency for International development, Rajiv Shah, visits Somalia.
The administrator of the U.S. Agency for International development, Rajiv Shah visited Somalia on Thursday (February 21) signaling the latest step in the rapidly strengthening US-Somalia bilateral relations.
Shah spent five hours in the war-ravaged city of Mogadishu meeting top Somali officials, including the president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Mohamud later told a news conference that he had held successful talks with Shah on ways in which his government will be aided.
"We just discussed about ways and means in which the American people and government can help the Somali government and its people. This has gone very well," said Mohamud.
The United States officially recognised the Somali government in Mogadishu a month ago, ending a hiatus of more than 20 years and opening the door to increased U.S. and international economic help for the violence-plagued African nation.
Shah also met with Somalia's Prime Minister, foreign minister, aid groups and promised further U.S. support in revamping food and agriculture sectors.
"Today we are proud to announce an additional 20 million US dollars commitment to the people of Somalia to support critical services in food and agriculture," said Shah.
Somalia elected Mohamud last year as president in the first vote of its kind since warlords toppled military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, ending decades of fighting in which tens of thousands of people died.
Shah's visit came 48 hours after a visit by Keith Ellison, a Congressman from Minnesota. Neither Shah nor Ellis traveled beyond Mogadishu's airport complex, the most secure area of a city that until recently was known as one of the world's most dangerous. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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