State Department: Arms and training for Somalia valued at less than $10 million

US military help for Somalia is under $10 million

WASHINGTON — A State Department official says the weaponry and military training that the United States has been supplying to the government of Somalia in recent weeks is valued at less than $10 million.

And the official said it amounted to about 40 tons of armaments, provided to Somalia over the last six weeks.

The official described the program on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the State Department. The official said the arms are given to Somalia by the armed forces of Burundi and Uganda, who are in turn reimbursed by the U.S. And he said the decision to provide the arms and training was made by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in consultation with the National Security Council.