NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 8 — Kenya’s Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and United States counterpart Lloyd Austin III have affirmed their commitment to enhancing the Kenya-US partnership in bolstering security across the Middle East and the Horn of Africa region.
Following their meeting at the Pentagon on Wednesday, Duale, who commenced his four-day visit to the US on February 4, disclosed that discussions primarily centered on regional and global security matters.
Duale added that they also committed to enhancing their efforts in the fight against Somalia-based Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist outfit Al Shabaab and the need for security and stability in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb.
“[I] was hosted by US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin III at the Pentagon where we discussed a host of issues on the implementation of the Defence Cooperation Framework between the U.S. and Kenya on strategic partnership,” Duale said.
The US Department of Defense indicated that Secretary Austin thanked CS Duale for Kenya’s role and contributions to regional and global security following the meeting.
The meeting came amid simmering tensions in the Middle East due to the ongoing war between the Israeli forces and Hamas terrorist organization that has threatened to destabilise the region which is also a crucial shipping corridor.
Since November 2023, Houthi rebels backing Hamas, have upscaled attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as military forces positioned in the area to safeguard commercial shipping.
On January 17, the US Department of State designated Ansarallah, commonly known as the Houthis, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group for 30 days.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken underscored that the Houthis’ attacks on international shipping jeopardized mariners’ safety, disrupted commerce, and interfered with navigational rights and freedoms.
“This designation seeks to promote accountability for the group’s terrorist activities. If the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will reevaluate this designation,” he said.
