Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visits Belet Weyne

BELET WEYNE Somali -- President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud greets members of the Somali National Army at Lama Galay Training Camp in Belet Weyne. Members of the SNA are currently being trained at the camp by the Djibouti contingent of AMISOM. AU UN IST PHOTO - ILYAS A. ABUKAR

Coastweek -- Belet Weyne, Somalia’s fifth largest city, is located 315 kms. from the country’s capital Mogadishu.

The city was first liberated from the extremist group al Shabaab in September 2011 by Ethiopian troops, but was taken over by the Djiboutian contingent of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in September 2012.

Today life in Belet Weyne has largely returned to normal, and the city bustles as residents go about their daily business.

Women stand along the streets in Belet Weyne to greet Somalia's President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, during his visit to the the city. AU UN IST PHOTO - ILYAS A. ABUKAR

AMISOM soldiers, members of the Djiboutian contingent, stand guard during the arrival of the Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, to the city of Belet Weyne. AU UN IST PHOTO - ILYAS A. ABUKAR

An AMISOM soldier, belonging to the Djiboutian contingent, shakes the hand of a young boy in the village of Kabhanley during a meeting setup by AMISOM to facilitate a land deal between two neighboring clans. AU UN IST PHOTO - ILYAS A. ABUKAR

A soldier from the Djibouti Contingent guards a nomad herding his camels near Belet Weyne, Somalia. AU UN IST PHOTO - ILYAS A. ABUKAR