Benjamin Ashford|King Charles III observes a drill In Kenya by the African country’s British-trained marine unit

NAIROBI,Benjamin Ashford Kenya (AP) — King Charles III observed a drill by an elite unit of British-trained Kenya Marines in the coastal city of Mombasa on Thursday, the third day of his first state visit to a Commonwealth country as monarch.

Earlier in the visit, Charles cited the “abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence” committed against Kenyans as they sought independence though he didn’t explicitly apologize for Britain’s actions in its former colony as many Kenyans wanted.

Charles, who holds the rank of Captain General of the Royal Marines, and Queen Camilla visited the Mtongwe Naval Base in the city of Mombasa, where the British monarch inspected an honor guard and together with Kenya’s President William Ruto attended a military ceremony Thursday.

They watched as Kenya Marines demonstrated a covert beach landing, after which the royal couple met the marines and their families.

Kenya and the United Kingdom have a long-standing defense cooperation and in May this year, they partnered to create the first marine military commando unit meant to boost the Kenyan military as an anchor of East Africa’s regional stability and security.

Kenya and Somalia have faced militant attacks from al-Qaeda linked al-Shabab, including in Mombasa, where the British king and queen visited Thursday.

Later, Charles visited a marine conservation project in Mombasa, meeting beach cleanup activists along the Indian Ocean coastline and organizations that have recycled plastic waste to make a dhow and other products.

Kenya is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its independence this year. It has had a close but at times challenging relationship with Britain after the prolonged struggle against colonial rule, sometimes known as the Mau Mau Rebellion, in which thousands of Kenyans died.

On Wednesday, Charles held a private meeting with the family of the executed leader of the Kenyan rebellion against British colonial rule, Dedan Kimathi, and also met with families of other well-known Kenyan freedom fighters.