Somalia will remain a top foreignpolicy for the department of state as it has been for the obama administration. This past year marks some changes in somalia and in our bilateral relationship with somalia. The election was a welcome of a lyrical was stop because of the support for the Peace Process and the leadership role of our regional partners notably the African Union and the intergovernmental authority. On january 17, we formally recognize the federal government of somalia after two decades a Transitional Government. Nonetheless, the u. S. Government also understood very clearly that somalia would face considerable challenges as it worked to rebuild its statehood. The successes of the African Union mission in somalia, contribute companies and Strategic Partners to combat al shabaab are demonstrating the strength of an action african led a model. Thisbased al qaeda affiliate is a dangerous present. The terrorist attacks on the west gate Shopping Mall for which alshabaab has taken c