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Rep. Ellison Statement on Secretary Kerry's Visit to Somalia

Statement

Date: May 6, 2015
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Issues: Foreign Affairs

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement today after Secretary of State John Kerry made a surprise visit to Somalia.

"Secretary Kerry's historic visit to Mogadishu signals to the world that the United States stands with Somalia. The first visit from a sitting U.S. secretary of state comes as Somalia is making progress.

"But Somalia's hard-fought gains are fragile. It is critical the United States works to strengthen civil society and invest in rebuilding communities throughout the country. We must ensure Somali-Americans can maintain the ability to send money to their loved ones in Somalia; these remittances add up to $215 million a year, outpacing U.S. foreign aid to the country. The Senate should also swiftly confirm the president's nominee to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Katherine Dhanani, she will be the first U.S. ambassador to Somalia since 1991.

"I'm sure Secretary Kerry left with the same sense of hope for Somalia that I felt during my last visit in 2013."


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