US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin began his first trip to Africa on Sunday in Djibouti, at the permanent US military base, which includes Angola, to "reaffirm an enduring commitment to the region". 

"Our troops deployed at Camp Lemonnier [in Djibouti] are working hard and helping to ensure regional security with our partners in Africa," the Secretary of Defense said Monday on his social media account X (formerly Twitter), quoted by Lusa, after visiting the military base.

During his trip to Luanda, Lloyd Austin will focus on "building stronger defense relationships and exploring avenues for greater military-to-military cooperation between the US and Angola," the Department of Defense said in a statement.

The US representative's presence on the African continent is also aimed at discussing "African-led solutions to mutual security challenges and underlining the importance of US partnerships on the continent".

Also on Sunday, the US Secretary of Defense met with the President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, and the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheik Muhamud.

"We discussed our shared efforts to combat [the terrorist group] Al-Shebab and I recognized the courage and sacrifice of the Somali people as we work together to meet the challenges ahead," Austin said on X, regarding his talks with the Somali leader.

The President of Djibouti also spoke about Al-Shebab, and one of the main issues discussed was the African country's support for the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which is supporting Somali troops in their fight against the terrorist group.

Austin also thanked Guelleh for "his country's leadership and the effective and long-standing security partnership" between Djibouti and the US, according to a statement from the US Defense Department.

The US - like China, France and Japan - has a permanent military base in strategic Djibouti, between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.