Kerry makes unannounced visit to Somalia

Secretary of State John Kerry made an unannounced trip to Somalia Tuesday in a show of solidarity with a government trying to defeat al-Qaida-allied militants and end decades of war in the African country. He is the first top US diplomat ever to visit Somalia.
Kerry arrived at Mogadishu’s airport shortly before noon local time, greeted by Somalia’s president and prime minister on the tarmac. He immediately entered a series of planned meetings that include both of them along with regional leaders and civil society groups.
“I’m glad to be here,” Kerry said.
“This is a great moment for us. Thank you for the time to be with us,” President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said as they sat down together.
The trip was made under tight security conditions. Somalia’s government only found out a day ago that Kerry would join the State Department’s top Africa official, Linda Greenfield-Thomas, on the voyage. And the fact that he was only dipping his toe in Somalia, and not venturing past the airport, highlighted just how dangerous and instable the country remains.