MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Burundi’s army chief Prime Niyongabo arrived in Mogadishu on Monday in his first visit since Al-Qaeda-aligned Al-Shabaab militants overran a base housing Burundian peacekeepers in south Somalia last month.
The Burundian top general met with his Somali counterpart at the Ministry of Defense to discuss strengthening military cooperation between the countries, according to state media.
In early May, Al-Shabaab said it had killed at least 173 Burundian troops in an attack on a base in the town of El Baraf in the Middle Shabelle region, some 160km north of the capital. Militants also released images showing dead bodies of Burundian soldiers and military vehicles they had seized.
It is not yet clear if Niyongabo’s visit follows the raid and whether he would visit front-line bases housing peacekeepers from his country.
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