America
Obama rules out sending troops to Somalia
Addis Ababa, July 28
US President Barack
Obama said that his government would not consider sending troops to
Somalia, as he sees regional allies Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda as being
highly qualified to lead an anti-terrorism operation on the ground.
"I
think there's been complementarity in the work that we've done
together. So we don't need to send our own Marines, for example, in to
do the fighting," Obama said on Monday during a joint press conference
with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn here.
"The
Ethiopians are tough fighters. And the Kenyans and Ugandans have been
serious about putting troops on the ground, at significant sacrifice,
because they recognise the importance of stabilising the region."
The
relationship between the US and these countries has been fruitful,
Obama described, adding that cooperation has reduced the activities of
Somali jihadist group Al Shabaab, but that the threat remains, as
evidenced by ongoing attacks such as that on Sunday when at least 10
people were killed in Mogadishu.
"Our security cooperation is
pushing back against violent extremism," Obama said, while thanking the
Ethiopian government for "its contribution to the African Union Mission
in Somalia", or AMISOM, as it contributes more troops "to UN
peacekeeping efforts" than any other country in Africa.
The visit
to Ethiopia is the second and final leg of Obama's official visit to
Africa, which began with a visit to Kenya, the land where his father was
born.
Obama is scheduled to deliver a speech on Tuesday before
the African Union, to become the first US president to speak before the
regional institution.