There has been a long and bloody fight for control of Somalia and now the United States is stepping into the fray.
Washington is offering $33m for the capture of seven leaders of the armed group al-Shabab.
Experts say that there is no evidence that al-Shabab has plans to attack the US but officials there say the stability of Somalia falls within the national security interest of the US.
The move is seen as a clear sign that Barack Obama's administration is increasingly focusing its attention on Africa, and any groups affiliated with al-Qaeda on the continent.
Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports from Washington.
