Somalia: Puntland, U.S. Sign Security Deal to Expand American Base in Bosaso

What the report says

Somalia’s Puntland state and the United States have signed a new security cooperation agreement that will allow Washington to expand its military facility in Bosaso, according to a statement from Puntland’s presidency carried by Shabelle and republished by AllAfrica. The announcement followed a meeting in Bosaso between Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni and a U.S. delegation from Africa Command (AFRICOM) led by Major General Claude Tudor, who heads Special Operations Command Africa.

The talks centered on counterterrorism cooperation and on improving security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, two strategic waterways that have faced growing security pressure in recent years. The presidency said the expanded base will support counterterrorism missions and maritime security operations, but it did not give details on the size of the facility or when the work would begin.

Puntland said ministers, military commanders and presidential advisers also attended the meeting. The statement presented the deal as part of Puntland’s broader effort to confront militant groups and other threats to stability in Puntland, Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa. The report also noted that the United States has cooperated with Puntland security forces for years, including operations against Islamic State-linked militants in the Bari region and other extremist groups in northern Somalia.