MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Friday traveled to Djibouti for talks with his Djiboutian counterpart Ismail Omar Ghuelleh on the drawdown of 3,000 African Union peacekeepers scheduled for this month, Caasimada Online news website reported.
Mohamud’s trip, which was kept secret, came after more than a month he had been in the central Somalia town of Dhusamareb to lead offensive against Al-Qaeda-aligned militants.
The Somali President is expected to urge Ghuelleh to delay the withdrawal of Djiboutian troops stationed at Dhusamareb Airport, whose pullout is feared to embolden Islamist militants.
In a letter addressed to the United Nations Security Council this week, Somali government called for the delay of the scheduled withdrawal of 3,000 African Union peacekeepers, citing setbacks in military operations against militants.
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