US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Mogadishu earlier today, the first such visit by an American in his position.
Mr Kerry met with Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the airport amidst tight security and said: "Next time I come, we have to be able to just walk downtown".
"I visited Somalia today because your country is turning around," he said.
The US supports the Somalian government in its fight against al-Shabab militants, who control vast swathes of land in the Horn of Africa.