President Barack Obama has nominated veteran diplomat Katherine Dhanani as the first American ambassador to Somalia since 1991, when diplomatic relations were severed as warring militias controlled the war-ravaged African country.
The Senate will have to officially endorse the nomination of Dhanani who is a long-time diplomat with deep experience of African affairs. The State Department welcomed the nomination of the veteran diplomat, describing the move as an "historic" step which reflects growing bilateral US and Somalia diplomatic relations which ushered in a new phase in 2013. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the new ambassador, if confirmed, would head the US diplomatic mission, currently based in Nairobi, Kenya .