DJIBOUTI (SONNA) – The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, leading a high-level delegation, arrived in the Republic of Djibouti on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
The President and his delegation received a warm and fraternal welcome in Djibouti City. The visit is for a high-profile state ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Somali Reconciliation Conference, famously known as the “Arta Conference,” which was instrumental in re-establishing the 3rd Somali Republic.
The commemoration is being hosted by H.E. President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, honoring the pivotal and historic role his nation played in the Somali-led and Somali-owned peace process.
A central part of the ceremony will be the official inauguration of the new Horn of Africa Reconciliation Center, a new institution dedicated to regional peace. In recognition of the conference’s profound legacy, the center will be named the “Arta Peace Monument,” cementing its place in the history of Somali state-building.
The Arta Peace Conference, which Djibouti hosted in 2000, is widely regarded as a foundational turning point in Somali history. After a decade of state collapse, the Djibouti-led initiative successfully convened a wide spectrum of Somali stakeholders, leading directly to the formation of the Transitional National Government (TNG) and the restoration of a central government for the first time since 1991.
During his visit, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will hold bilateral meetings with President Guelleh and other senior Djiboutian officials to discuss the deep-rooted partnership and shared interests of the two brotherly nations.
President Mohamud is also scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the inauguration event. His speech will reflect on the “fruitful successes” and the remarkable progress Somalia has achieved in the 25 years since the Arta conference, highlighting the long-term, positive impact of the reconciliation efforts that began in Djibouti.
