国际英语新闻:Kerry in Saudi Arabia to Discuss Yemen Crisis

Youssouf noted that Djibouti had been dealing with the refugee influx by itself.

"So far, we have evacuated 12,000 refugees from Yemen," he said, and "most of them were not Yemenis. They were Americans, Chinese, Indians and many other nationalities.”

Kerry thanked Guelleh and Youssouf for their assistance to Americans who sought refuge from the violence in Yemen.

An army for Somalia

In an interview with VOA's Somali service, Guelleh said the discussions with Kerry "went very well" and focused on bilateral cooperation as well as regional issues that included terrorism and piracy. He commended U.S. support to governments in the region.

Guelleh also asked Kerry to put increased effort into establishing a national army from all regions of Somalia with good training that would be ready when African Union troops leave Somalia. Otherwise, he said, "our efforts and your efforts will be incomplete.”

In addition to meeting with Djibouti officials, Kerry visited a mosque, where he talked to young people, including some who participated in the U.S.-organized Young African Leadership Initiative fellowship program.

He also met with U.S. service members at Camp Lemonnier. The U.S. base with about 4,500 personnel serves as a hub for U.S. military efforts in the Horn of Africa.

Kerry traveled to Djibouti from Kenya, where he met with the country’s political leaders and civil society members. He made a side trip to Somalia on Tuesday, becoming the first sitting U.S. secretary of state to visit the country.

After Kerry wraps up his visit to Saudi Arabia, he will travel to Paris to meet with Gulf Cooperation Council members to discuss security and regional cooperation.