This archive report was first published on 3 October 2019.
On October 3, 2019, the United States marked a significant milestone in its relations with Somalia by reopening its embassy in Mogadishu, 28 years after it was shut due to civil war.
The embassy was closed in 1991 following the overthrow of President Siad Barre's military regime, which plunged the country into decades of chaos. However, diplomatic relations between the two nations have strengthened in recent years.
US Ambassador Donald Yamamoto hailed the reopening as a significant and historic day, reflecting Somalia's progress in recent years and another step forward in regularizing US diplomatic engagement in Mogadishu since recognizing the federal government of Somalia in 2013.
Although a permanent diplomatic presence was established in Mogadishu in December 2018, it was operated out of Nairobi. The country continues to face challenges, including an Islamist insurgency, with Al-Shabaab militants staging an attack on a military base in Mogadishu on Monday.
US strikes in Somalia surged in April 2017, after President Donald Trump declared the south of the country an 'area of active hostilities'. The US remains a strong partner to Somalia in its efforts to build a stable, credible, and democratic country.
