Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with the President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh in Djibouti on his first trip to Africa. The leaders discussed the bilateral defense relationship and regional security issues, including Djiboutian support to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia in the fight against violent extremist organizations in the region. Secretary Austin thanked President Guelleh for his country's leadership and for the longstanding and effective security partnership between the two nations.
Secretary Austin also met with the Minister of Defense Hassan Omar Mohamed Bourhan to discuss the advancement of bilateral security priorities in East Africa.