MOGADISHU, Oct. 11, 2026 — Somalia’s Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Abdifatah Qasim Mohamud, met on Sunday with Robert Flannery, an adviser to the US government’s East Africa Counterterrorism Programme, to discuss cooperation in countering extremism, the ministry said.
The meeting, held at the minister’s office in Mogadishu, focused on strengthening cooperation between Somalia and the United States in counterterrorism, public awareness campaigns, countering extremist propaganda and ideology, and coordinating government messaging on counterterrorism efforts.
Qasim stressed the importance of developing a unified media strategy, implementing effective public awareness campaigns and strengthening bilateral cooperation to ensure the Somali public receives accurate information and is encouraged to participate in efforts to combat terrorism.
Flannery underscored the importance of continuing cooperation between the two countries, particularly in media and strategic communications, to support counterterrorism initiatives and related US assistance, according to the ministry’s account of the meeting.
The minister was accompanied by Abdishakur Ali Ahmed, director of the ministry’s strategic relations department, and his adviser, Abdiaziz Jeylani.
