As part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh, the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum, and the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The leaders discussed their countries' joint efforts to strengthen our mutual defense capabilities and their work in countering violent extremism.
Secretary Austin expressed the Department's appreciation to the presidents of Djibouti, Niger, and Somalia for hosting U.S. forces. He welcomed Presidents Guelleh, Bazoum, and Hassan Sheikh's leadership in proactively engaging with the United States and international partners on the security challenges facing their respective countries.
