By Dawan Africa - Reporter
Mogadishu(Mogadishu24)-Kenya's Minister of Defense, Hon. Aden Barre Duale, embarked on an official trip to Mogadishu, Somalia, on Wednesday to strengthen security and defense cooperation between the two countries.
During his visit, the Defense Minister met with the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamed, to discuss regional security, particularly their joint efforts in the fight against terrorism.
"President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud received Kenya's Minister of Defense, Mr. Aden Barre Duale, and discussed the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of security, regional stability, and the acceleration of joint efforts to eliminate terrorism," a statement from Villa Somalia read.
Kenya's Minister of Defense, Hon. Aden Duale, also met with the Prime Minister of Somalia, Hamsa Abdi Barre, to discuss cooperation between the two governments in terms of security and the fight against terrorist groups.
"Today, in Mogadishu, I met Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, and senior officials from the Somali Defense Forces. We discussed the security situation in the region with a focus on furthering our cooperation in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism," Hon. Duale, Kenya's Defense CS, said in a Facebook post.
Duale highlighted Kenya's role in contributing to regional security and the stability of Somalia, stating, "Kenya takes pride in its contributory role in the restoration of peace and stability in Somalia, which has brought tremendous socio-economic gains to the country and the region at large."
Hon. Duale also met with his Defense counterpart, Mr. Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, and Chief of Defense Forces, Brigadier General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow.
This meeting occurred as the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations published a list of 35 Al-Shabaab suspects responsible for conducting criminal attacks in Lamu, Kenya.
In a published list with photographs, the Kenyan security agency stated that the identified individuals are linked to terrorist attacks in the coastal region, specifically Lamu County.
Kenya and Somalia have previously collaborated in arresting terror suspects, Al-Shabaab financiers, and sympathizers.
Two weeks ago, the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), in collaboration with Kenyan detectives and authorities, arrested Sufyan Sheikh Ahmed, who was accused of being an Al-Shabaab sympathizer and spreading terrorist ideologies.
Kenya's regional and international presence has grown as it actively participates in global and regional matters such as security and peace.
Kenya is one of the African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troop-contributing countries and has actively engaged in the fight against the Al-Shabaab terrorist organization, which has become a threat not only to Somalia but also to Kenya.
In recent months, Al-Shabaab has conducted several attacks in Kenya, mainly in villages along Boni Forest, such as Juhudi, Salama, and Withu villages in Lamu, killing dozens of Kenyan security forces and civilians.
The Kenyan government has implemented crucial measures to reduce attacks, including identifying and capturing those who provide information, transportation, and supplies to Al-Shabaab militants, as well as establishing a 42KM cutline between Boni Forest and residential areas.
