Washington closed its embassy during the 1991 overthrow of president Siad Barre’s military regime which ushered in decades of chaos, however, diplomatic relations have strengthened in recent years.

“Today we reaffirm the relations between the American people and the Somali people and our two nations,” said Ambassador Donald Yamamoto in a statement.

“It is a significant and historic day that reflects Somalia’s progress in recent years, and another step forward in regularising U.S. diplomatic engagement in Mogadishu since recognising the federal government of Somalia in 2013.”

A permanent diplomatic presence was established in Mogadishu in December 2018, however, was operated out of Nairobi.

The country continues to be wracked by an Islamist insurgency, and Al-Shabaab militants on Monday staged an attack on a military base that is a major launching site for US drone operations, as well as a European Union convoy.

US strikes in Somalia surged in April 2017, after President Donald Trump declared the south of the country an “area of active hostilities”.

“The United States remains a strong partner to Somalia in its effort to build a stable, credible, and democratic country,” said the statement.

AFP

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“Several people died and many more are injured but we don’t have the exact number of the fatalities so far because there is still a rescue operation going on,” said security official Abdiweli Mohamed.

A suicide bomber rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into the popular hotel in the southern town before several heavily armed gunmen forced their way inside, shooting as they went, he said.

“The blast rocked the popular Medina hotel formerly known as Cascasey which is located in downtown Kismayo,” said Mohamed.

“Several gunmen entered and started shooting but the security forces responded quickly and engaged in a gunfight with the terrorists inside the building,” he added.

Witnesses said among those killed was a well-known social media activist, her husband and a local journalist.

“The blast was very big,” said witness Hussein Muktar.

“There is chaos inside, I saw several dead bodies carried from the scene and people are fleeing from the nearby buildings,” added Muktar.

“The relatives of a local journalist Mohamed Sahal confirmed his death and I’m getting that social media activist Hodan Naleye and her husband also died in the blast,” another witness, Ahmed Farhan, said.

Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.

“Mujahidin fighters carried out a martyrdom attack on one of the hotels accommodating the apostate officials of the Jubaland administration,” an autonomous southern zone in the troubled country whose main city is Kismayo, the group said.

According to several sources, most of those staying in the hotel were politicians and traders ahead of upcoming regional elections.

AFP

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