The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, arrived in Kampala, Uganda on Wednesday night to attend two important regional meetings.
The first meeting is an extraordinary summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a trade bloc of eight countries in the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and the African Great Lakes. The summit is expected to discuss the recent developments in the relations between Ethiopia and Somalia, which have deteriorated over Ethiopia’s controversial deal with Somaliland, a regional administration of Somalia.
On January 1, 2024, Ethiopia and Somaliland signed an agreement that would grant Ethiopia access to the Red Sea via the port of Berbera in Somaliland, and in exchange, Ethiopia would recognize Somaliland as an independent state. Somalia, which considers Somaliland as part of its territory, denounced the deal as a “blatant violation of international law” and a threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Somalia also accused Ethiopia of interfering in its internal affairs and undermining its stability and security.
The IGAD summit is expected to mediate between the two countries and find a peaceful solution to the dispute, which has raised tensions in the region and drawn the attention of the international community. The summit will also address other issues of common interest, such as trade, infrastructure, climate change and peace and security.
The second meeting that Mr. Mohamud will attend is the meeting of the Alliance of Neutral Countries, a group of 12 countries that have declared their neutrality or non-alignment in international conflicts and alliances. The group includes Austria, Costa Rica, Finland, Ireland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, San Marino, Sweden and Switzerland. The meeting will focus on the role of neutral and non-aligned countries in promoting dialogue, cooperation and peace in the world.
Mr. Mohamud is accompanied by a high-level delegation of ministers, diplomats and advisors. He is expected to hold bilateral talks with his counterparts from Uganda and other countries on the sidelines of the meetings. He will also meet with representatives of the United Nations, the African Union and other regional and international organizations.
