AFRICOM Imam leads first Iftar with U.S., SNA leaders

Religious celebration observed with US military and African partners

By Staff Sgt. Eboni Prince , Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Public Affairs Jun 13, 2017

View Gallery

Gallery contains 5 images

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The setting sun over the western skies of Mogadishu, Somalia, on June 5, 2017, not only signaled the end of the daily fasting over the month of Ramadan, but also marked an important step in building relationships between the U.S. and Somali military leadership. This was the first time a U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Imam led an Iftar at the Mogadishu International Airport for U.S. personnel from AFRICOM, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), the Mogadishu Coordination Cell, as well as Somali National Army leaders.

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Miguel Castellanos, deputy commanding general for CJTF-HOA in Somalia and Mogadishu Coordination Cell director was the senior U.S. military host of the event.

The event required close coordination between the U.S. hosts and the SNA partners. Using a pair of headphones, Col. Nuuraani Ali Dirir, Liaison Officer for European Training Mission in Somalia, listened intently for the international Islamic call to prayer, which announced the moment when Muslims should line up for the beginning of each prayer.

After Ali Dirir gave the cue to begin, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Abuhena Saifulislam, U.S. Africa Command deputy command chaplain, led six other Somali National Army guests to a designated area in which they would pray before partaking in the Iftar feast.

Saifulislam, originally from Bangladesh, served as the Imam for the evening prayers.

Per the Islam faith, Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, improvement and increased devotion and worship. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the soul by freeing it from harmful impurities. The prayers proclaim Muslims’ belief and trust in God as they fast.

Immediately following, the guests gathered around a table to break bread with one another.

“To have American and Somali military members praying and feasting together during Ramadan has never happened here [in Mogadishu] before,” said Ali Dirir.

Saifulislam shared that finding common ground through fellowship, in spite of differences, can do nothing but build towards the ultimate goal of a better, more peaceful Somalia.

“It is human nature to find things that differentiate ourselves from one another,” said Saifulislam. “When we take time to overcome that, look for similarities and share our values to those who work closely with us, we can develop a mutual understanding.”

It is this understanding that all hope will aid in accomplishing many other shared goals and coordinated efforts, including enabling the Federal Government of Somalia to defeat al-Shabaab in Somalia and successfully transition security functions to the Somali National Security Forces.

This combined Iftar also afforded Castellanos, the senior U.S. military officer in Somalia, to meet with many of the SNA leaders he will continue to work with to strengthen the U.S.-Somalia relationship.

“In the U.S., there are many traditions and observances that mean a lot to us,” said Castellanos to his Somali guests. “It is also our military tradition to celebrate and observe all faiths with those who serve with us so I am very thankful for the opportunity to share in this tradition with you.”

Saifulislam highlighted the message of reconciliation and inclusiveness.

“Any struggle and fight is not against a religion,” said Saifulislam. “We are with you in this and both are striving for the same goals-- peace and stability.”

U.S. Forces conduct strike against al Shabaab

Federal Government of Somalia engages ISIS-Somalia with support from U.S. Forces

U.S. Forces Conduct Strike Targeting al Shabaab

Africa Endeavor

U.S. Forces conduct strike against ISIS-Somalia

Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord

NAIROBI, Kenya – Among the flurry of tactical live fires and squad movement drills, air ground integration and even the humanitarian initiatives at exercise Justified Accord 2025 (JA25), lies the one thing those who serve in any armed force must follow: The Law. The Law of Armed Conflict, or LOAC, is a key aspect of training for any military. JA25’s academics course aimed at learning from the international legal lessons of previous wars in an effort to reduce the amount of human suffering in future conflicts. “The soldier’s rules are a broad set of rules that we have pulled from the large breadth of international law,” said U.S. Army Maj. Tim Olliges, an operational law attorney assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the lead U.S. Army command and planner of JA25. “The LOAC is extensive and can be complex, so we pull out the ten most critical concepts that every soldier, right down to the private, should know before they go into combat.”

US, Kenya prepare for the unimaginable CBRN threat

NAIROBI, Kenya – Imagine two scenarios. Scenario 1: Dawn breaks over the capital of Kenya. A U.S. diplomat leaves his residence for the embassy. After a 20-minute ride, his car arrives at the gate and he enters. He sits in his office to begin the day when, all of a sudden, he hears an explosion through the open window. It seems far off; it is not a large explosion. He thinks maybe it was just a car accident, but minutes later he smells something bitter in the air. His eyes water, sirens blare and a U.S. Marine Corps security detail enters his office wearing gas masks. They put a mask on him and tell him they must evacuate immediately because a deadly chemical is blowing over the compound. Scenario 2: U.S. intelligence receives credible information that radiological material is being loaded onto a ship in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. Time is short and no one knows which ship, only that it will embark soon, possibly bound for the hands of violent extremists or other state actors looking to imperil the U.S. homeland. There is no time to send U.S. security forces to intercept the package. Instead, the Kenyan Disaster Response Battalion (DRB) mobilizes and arrives at the port. Using tactics and tools gained from years of training with the United States, they find the ship and the weapon, placed there by a violent extremist organization, and prevent its departure, defeating the threat to America and its citizens. Similar scenarios have happened before in other areas of the world.

36th Annual International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference and First Chaplain Africa Forum held in Brussels

The U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and Belgian Ministry of Defence, in partnership with U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and U.S. Indo Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) Chaplain Directorates, hosted the world’s largest annual meeting of senior military religious leaders at the 36th Annual NATO & Partner International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference (IMCCC) in Brussels, Belgium, January 27-31, 2025.

Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord

US, Kenya prepare for the unimaginable CBRN threat

36th Annual International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference and First Chaplain Africa Forum held in Brussels

Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord

US, Kenya prepare for the unimaginable CBRN threat

36th Annual International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference and First Chaplain Africa Forum held in Brussels

United States Africa Command

AFRICOM Imam leads first Iftar with U.S., SNA leaders

Religious celebration observed with US military and African partners