Gen. Anderson visited Ethiopia, Somaliland and Puntland to reinforce U.S. commitment to applying maximum pressure on ISIS, al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups.
Stuttgart, Germany (Hornpost) Gen. Anderson visited Ethiopia, Somaliland and Puntland to reinforce U.S. commitment to applying maximum pressure on ISIS, al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups. The trip strengthened coordination with African partners to advance shared security priorities.
His message remained clear: the United States supports maximum pressure on ISIS, al-Shabaab, and other violent terrorist organizations, aligned with President Trump’s priorities and Secretary of War Hegseth’s guidance to protect the U.S. homeland.
“The whole reason I came here is because we have shared threats,” Anderson said. “I’m not new to this region; I understand what the issues are, and we’re here to help empower our African partners to address these threats in a united way.”
Across engagements, Anderson met with senior leaders to strengthen cooperation, reinforce burden sharing, and align security priorities. In Ethiopia, he met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Chief of Defense, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula Gelelcha. In Somaliland, he met with President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and military leaders and assessed the security environment in Berbera. In Puntland, he met with Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor and senior defense leaders, praising Puntland’s maximum-pressure efforts in the Golis Mountains.
“As we face the growing security threats, including the rise of terrorist activities in East Africa, the Sahel, and West Africa’s coastal regions, the collective efforts are more important than ever,” Anderson said. “Together we can build a more prosperous and secure future for the United States, for Africa and most importantly, for our children.”
Africa remains a region where U.S. engagement is essential to supporting global stability and the security of the U.S. homeland.
Pictures:
U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Garric Banfield, AFRICOM command senior enlisted leader, and AFRICOM senior leaders pose for a photo with U.S. and Puntland Defense Force leadership, including Gen. Adan Abdi Hashi, chief of defense forces, Puntland Defense Forces, after a meeting with the vice president of Somalia’s member state of Puntland Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor, Nov. 27, 2025, in Bosaso, Puntland, Somalia. During theU.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and AFRICOM senior leaders tour the Port of Berbera to assess the security environment and review the port’s operational capacity in Berbera, Somaliland, Nov. 26, 2025. The visit was part of an East Africa trip which featured stops in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Hargeisa, Somaliland and Bosaso in Somalia’s member state of Puntland. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Tucceri)U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), meets with President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, president of Somaliland, in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Nov. 26, 2025. The meeting was part of Gen. Anderson’s trip in East Africa to meet with government and defense leaders to strengthen America’s strategic approach to confronting terrorism through mutual engagement, stronger cooperation, and aligned security priorities. (U.S. Army photo by Cpt. Ubon Mendie)U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and AFRICOM senior leaders meet with Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and Somaliland senior government and military leadership to discuss shared security objectives in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Nov. 26, 2025. During the engagement, Anderson emphasized that countering terrorism is a shared responsibility that no single nation can shoulder alone. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Tucceri)U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), meets with Field Marshal Birhanu Jula Gelelcha, chief of defense of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nov. 25, 2025. Anderson, along with AFRICOM senior leaders, conducted a high-level meeting with Ethiopian National Defense Force leadership to discuss AFRICOM’s focus on building partner capacity amongst regional threats. (U.S. Army photo by Cpt. Ubon Mendie)U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and AFRICOM senior leaders, conducted a series of high-level visits to Africa with stops in Ethiopia and Somalia’s member states of Somaliland and Puntland, Nov. 23-27, 2025. The visits were part of an East Africa trip aimed to strengthen America’s strategic approach to confronting terrorism through mutual engagement, stronger cooperation, and aligned security priorities. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Tucceri)
Hornpost
