Saturday April 13, 2024
FILE - U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his administration's efforts to pursue deterrence and diplomacy in response to Russia’s military buildup on the border of Ukraine, from the White House in Washington, U.S., February 18, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
The United States has extended the national emergency, declared in 2010, for another year regarding the situation relating to Somalia, which continues to represent an "unusual and extraordinary" threat to US national security and foreign policy.
This is made known White House in a statement. “On April 12, 2010, by Executive Order 13536, the President declared a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to address the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States from the deteriorating security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia; acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, which have been the subject of United Nations Security Council resolutions; and violations of the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council,” the statement reads.
Further measures were taken on July 20, 2012 with Executive Order 13620 issued by then-President Barack Obama. “The situation regarding Somalia continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared on April 12, 2010 and the measures taken on that date and on July 20, 2012 to address this threat shall continue to be effective beyond April 12, 2024,” the statement concludes.
The announcement comes after the US embassy last Monday United States in Somalia has issued a "maximum alert" warning aimed at its compatriots residing in the capital Mogadishu, stating that it has received credible threats in several places in the city.
In a note, Washington's representation specified that all movements of its staff have been canceled for April 9th. On the occasion, the USA recalled that the fourth level of alert remains in force in the country, i.e. the one that urges people to avoid travel to Somalia due to episodes of crime, terrorism, kidnapping and piracy.