Photo: www.vietnamplus.com

US President Barack Obama on Thursday held talks with his Somalian counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. President Obama congratulated the Somalia leader on his election last September and on establishing Somalia’s first representative government in the last 20 years. Obama expressed his optimism about Somalia’s future, even though the country faces many challenges. The same day, the US officially recognized the Somalian government, ending 20 years of severed of diplomatic relations. Somalia has had no central government since President Mohamed Siyad Barre was dethroned in 1991. Abdi Farah Shirdon was appointed Prime Minister by President Mohamud last October. The new government replaces the Western-backed transitional government which lasted for 8 years, and hopefully ends more than two decades of conflict which has killed tens of thousands of Somalians.